Seeing You Again
by Scarlet Flames13
Summary: When Kagome and Sango are taken under by Naraku, Inuyasha and Miroku become desperate and are in a frenzy to find them. But when Sango manages to escape, Kagome is forced to stay behind. Can they defeat Naraku? InuKag
1. Meeting Again

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters sniff. I'm just borrowing them for this story.

A/N: If the font is italic, it means that that's what the character is thinking. If it's in bold text, that means it's a flashback of something previously said or done. This is my first ever fanfic posted publicly, so I hope it goes well.

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_Chapter 1 - Meeting Again_

Kagome lifted her head lazily off her pillow and shut off her alarm clock. Sitting up, she yawned and pulled on her slippers, walking over to the window and pulling back the curtains. The sunlight streamed through the glass onto the floor. Smiling, she thought to herself, "Today, I go back to see Inuyasha!"

Walking out into the kitchen, Kagome found breakfast was already on the table. "Wow, thanks mom! This looks great!" She sat down and began helping herself.

"Hey sis, aren't you going back to the other side of the well with Inuyasha today?" Souta - her usually annoying little brother - asked.

"Yup. Right after I finish taking a shower." She picked up her bowl and walked over to the sink and began rinsing it off under the hot running water.

"That's all right, dear. I'll take care of that. You just go take a shower and finish getting ready," her mom told her. Her mom was always taking care of things for her so she could travel to the other side of the well. Kagome flashed her a smile that showed she was grateful for not having to do her dishes.

"Thanks, mom," Kagome replied as she ran off to her room. Grabbing her things, she walked into the bathroom. She closed the shower curtain and turned on the hot water. She loved showers, and was especially thankful for them and shampoo when she came back from the Feudal Era. Her hair was usually mussed and dirty, along with her clothes and her whole body.

After about ten minutes, she stepped out of the shower and let the remaining steam encircle her. She wiped off the mirror and brushed her hair. Turning on the blow dryer, she let the heat whip her raven-black hair behind her. Once she was satisfied, she turned the dryer off and raked her fingers through her tresses. She smiled to herself in the mirror and began pulling on her clothes. It felt good to be clean.

Kagome ran into the kitchen and packed the food her mother had left out so she could bring it with her. "I hope I have everything," she said to herself as ran out to the ancient Higurashi shrine. She slid open the door and gave her mom a kiss on the cheek. Souta grumbled and protested as she ruffled his hair.

"Please promise you'll be careful," her mom asked her with a smile.

"I will. Bye!" With one last wave, she jumped into the well as the blue light engulf her.

On the other side of the well in the Feudal Era, Inuyasha sat with his arms crossed impatiently. "Where is that damn Kagome?" The impatient hanyou was almost always in a bad mood.

Shippou jumped on the edge beside him. "I'm sure she'll be here any minute now." The young kitsune was as excited for Kagome to return as he was.

"Inuyasha!" Shippou and Inuyasha turned around to look down the well. Kagome was standing at the bottom and was waving up at them. She pulled herself over and threw her backpack onto the grass. Shippou jumped onto her lap, smiling as he looked greedily at her bulging yellow backpack.

"Hey Kagome, did you bring our ninja food?" an excited Shippou asked. His green eyes were looking up brightly at her.

"Of course I did! I couldn't forget you," she replied as she grasped him in a hug.

"Well, it took you long enough." Inuyasha glared at her, his hands folded inside the sleeves of his red kimono. His white ears were flat against the top of his head.

"Excuse me for wanting to spend time at home!" she countered, angrily. "You insensitive jerk!" Kagome was clearly upset, and she wasn't afraid of expressing it.

"Let's just go back to the village. The others are probably wondering what's taking so long," Inuyasha exclaimed, irritated. With that, he started running back to the village.

"Why does he have to be so immature sometimes! He didn't even wait for me!" she told Shippou hotly.

"Inuyasha was just upset that you took so long because he misses you. He's always like that when you're gone," Shippou stated, matter-of-factly.

"Thanks for saying that, Shippou," Kagome said, looking down and smiling at him. _I sort of figured that's why he always gets upset, _she thought grimly. _Why can't he ever be honest with me?_

Up ahead, Inuyasha was glowering at the two of them. "What's taking you so long?"

Kagome remembered what Shippou said and softened her gaze. _Does he really miss me? _She stopped in front of Inuyasha and looked up at him. _What's he thinking about right now? _

Inuyasha looked at her, confused. "What's your problem?" He was being impatient, as usual.

Shippou looked at Kagome curiously. "I hope she doesn't get too upset," he muttered to himself.

But Kagome just shook her head. "It's nothing. I was just thinking." She closed her eyes and turned her head away. The wind was blowing every which way. Branches on the trees shuddered and her hair whipped in front of her face. She continually had to tuck it behind her ear. Rays from the sun played on her face, making it glow. The warmth consumed her entire body and lightened her mood.

The three of them resumed their walk. "Oh yeah? What about?" Inuyasha asked her innocently. All the anger and impatience left his eyes as he looked at the miko curiously. It seemed she always had something on her mind.

_About you. _That's what she wanted to say, but she decided against it. She bit her lip and and hurriedly tried to think of something to say that would turn away Inuyasha's rousing suspicions. "About..." she paused and stopped in her tracks, causing Shippou to run into her. "Inuyasha, it's very faint, but I think I can sense the power of the Sacred Jewel shard!" The wind suddenly died down as she glanced around worriedly, the leaves on the trees whispering quietly to her.

"Are you serious? Where is it?" Inuyasha asked excitedly. His eyes darted in between the trees of the forest, his hand on his sword. Hanyou as he was, his extremely sensitive nose had picked up a strange scent. His grip on the Tetsusaiga's hilt tightened. _Is that...no, it can't be..._

Kagome scanned the area around them uncertainly and shook her head. "It's gone. I lost it..." Looking around again, she sighed. "I'm positive that I sensed it." The presense of the shards had been there, and they were tainted. It gave her a dark and eerie feeling to think about it.

Shippou looked up at her. "It just disappeared?" The young kitsune watched as she shook her head sadly. His pool of green eyes blinked in confusion.

"Well, let's get back to the village then. Maybe Miroku and Sango will know something." Kneeling down, Inuyasha waited for them to climb on his back. "We have to hurry." As soon as they were on, he began running to the village where Sango and Miroku were awaiting their arrival - mostly the return of Kagome.

"What do you think it was, Inuyasha?" Kagome wondered. Inuyasha had definately smelled something, and she didn't like the way he was taking it.

Inuyasha continued looking ahead. "I don't know, but I don't like it." He could feel Kagome's body tense up. He stayed quiet and turned his head to look at her. She stared distantly at nothing. It seemed that she was thinking - again.

Stopping in front of Kaede's hurt, Kagome and Shippou jumped off his back. At that same moment, Sango and Miroku moved the entrance flap aside and rushed to greet them.

"Welcome back, Kagome-chan," Sango greeted, warmly.

"Yes, Kagome-sama. It's good to have you back." His face turned serious as her turned to Inuyasha. "Did you happen to sense something earlier?"

Sango glanced at Inuyasha. "It seemed there was something sinister in the air. But it disappeared as soon as it came." Her smile had faded and she prodded apprehensively at the folds of her haori.

Inuyasha looked down and returned his hands to the interior of his sleeves. "Yeah, I could sense it. And Kagome felt the presense of a Sacred Jewel shard."

"Is this true, Kagome-sama?" Miroku inquired.

"Yes. It was very faint but I know I could feel it." Kagome knew that something was wrong, but she didn't know what. _A demon, maybe?_

"Then we must go search for it." Sango had changed into her demon slaying clothes and was holding her Hiraikotsu on her back. Kirara mewed softly as she ambled out of Kaede's hut.

"Sango's right," Miroku added. "Whoever's behind this must be stopped." The rings on his staff were clinking against each other with the wind which was again blowing softly.

Kagome looked away from them, far off into the forest. "You're right. I don't like this at all." She sighed quietly. "Whoever it is, they're powerful." Her gaze turned cold, as did her voice. She wasn't exactly afraid, intimidated was more like it.

"Inuyasha, do you think it could be Naraku?" Miroku asked as Kagome and Sango walked away.

"It's possible," Inuyasha replied. "But how would he be able to hide his scent like that? Unless..."

"He put up a barrier," Miroku finished for him. He rubbed his chin and closed his eyes, deep in thought. Past memories flooded his mind as previous battles had started this way.

"Well, what are you waiting for? If we're going to find this thing, we need to hurry," Inuyasha implied. His impatient personality was somehow comforting to them. His determination and strength made everybody feel more confident.

"Inuyasha's right. Kirara!" The two-tailed cat demon transformed, allowing Sango and Miroku to climb on her back. "We'll search above on Kirara. You and Kagome can investigate the forest," Sango told them, sternly.

"Hey! I don't take orders from..." Inuyasha started. _I don't take orders from no human. _He growled, frustrated when he was interrupted.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome was glaring at him.

"Wait, what did I do?" Inuyasha was confused. "Feh, whatever."

"Let's just get going." Kagome folded her arms and glared at him again.

He kneeled on the ground without saying anything. Kagome hastily climbed on his back and wrapped her arms around his neck. When he was sure she was secure, he began running swiftly to the forest.

After twenty minutes of dodging branches, Inuyasha let Kagome jump off his back and onto the grass. He began sniffing and inspecting the ground on all fours, searching for any trace of the scent from earlier.

Kagome sighed and looked around, becoming alert. "Inuyasha, I can sense the Sacred Jewel shards..." but she was cut off before she could finish what she was saying. Kouga was standing in front of her, clasping her hands with his own.

"Kouga-kun, what are you doing here?" she asked innocently and sighed inwardly. _There's another argument waiting to happen. _

"What do you mean? I came to see my woman!" he stated. Kagome held her breath as she waited for Inuyasha to explode.

Inuyasha lifted his head off the ground. There were wolfprints on his back from Kouga running over him previously in haste to see Kagome. "Kouga, get your hands off her. AND SHE AIN'T YOUR WOMAN!" he yelled furiously. He jumped up and balled his hands into fists.

"Well, well, lookie here! It's the mutt." Kouga smirked and let go of Kagome's hands. "Have you been keeping my Kagome safe?"

Inuyasha sneered. "What do you think? She wouldn't be here if she wasn't safe!"

Kouga crossed his arms. "I just had to check on her," he countered haughtily. His ice-blue eyes were glaring at Inuyasha.

"Yeah, you mangy wolf? What do you say we finish this now?"

Kouga sneered and poised himself for a fight. "Whenever you're ready."

Kagome took in a deep breath. "Inuyasha..."

He looked at her in confusion. "Wait, Kagome, I didn't mean it..."

"SIT BOY!" She turned away, satisfied as she heard him crash to the ground. Tolerating their petty arguments had never been something she'd been overly good at. _Kami, why can't they go one minute without a fracas?_

Kouga smirked again and Kagome glanced at him. "Sorry about that."

He smiled as he 'accidently' stepped on Inuyasha's head. "Oh, it's alright Kagome. I can take him any day."

She sighed as Inuyasha forced Kouga's foot off of him and stood up. "So tell me, Kouga. Have you sensed anything at all?"

"Yes, and that's why I came here to check on you. I don't trust this mutt face here." he paused and after a moment continued. "There's something evil going on and I don't like it."

Inuyasha was casting glares at him. "So, I guess you felt it too."

"KOUGA!" They all turned around as Hakkaku and Ginta appeared, breathless.

"Oh, hi Kagome!" Ginta smiled. "What are you doing here?"

"Feh, none of your business," Inuyasha replied, irritated once again. His ears twitched as he looked at the two of them. _She really needs to stop being nice to those mangy wolves._

"Inuyasha!" Kagome spoke to him warningly. She put her hands on her hips as her brown eyes blazed with anger.

"Wait...what did I say?!" He got a worried expression on his face and a terrified glint in his eye. He knew that tone...

"Sit!" For the second time that day, he fell face first to the ground. Kouga, Ginta, and Hakkaku cringed as he did, and glanced nervously at Kagome. Ginta leaned over and whispered to Hakkaku, "That was harsh..." Kouga glanced at the two of them sideways scrutinizingly.

Inuyasha stood up and shook his fist at Kagome. "Would you quit doing that?!" he yelled at her angrily. The front of his red kimono was layered with dirt. He began brushing the dirt off and mumbled bitterly to himself.

"What? You mean say 'sit?'" she asked innocently. For the third time, Inuyasha was forced to the ground and was offered a nice helping of dirt. The three wolves winced and took a step backwards.

"Maybe if you weren't so insensitive and rude! I'm leaving!" Kagome stormed off into the woods, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. Her nerves were twitching as she resisted the urge to pound Inuyasha to the ground with her powers of subjugation and one measly word - sit.

"Hey, wait, come back Kagome!" Kouga yelled to her. There was no way he would let Kagome go off by himself. Ginta and Hakakku held onto his arms, restraining him from pouncing on Inuyasha.

"Keh, just leave her be. She'll come back sooner or later." Inuyasha turned his back and walked in the opposite direction. He layed his ears flat against the top of his head as he grumbled to himself._ There's no way I'm apologizing to her._

Kouga, Ginta, and Hakkaku blinked, turning their heads one way and the other, a momentary silence between them. "So you're just gonna let her go off alone while there's something out there?" Kouga yelled to Inuyasha.

"Maybe she should've thought about that before she stormed off," Inuyasha retorted.

Up above, Kirara began to swiftly descend, nearing the others. When she alighted the ground, Miroku, Sango, and Shippou jumped off her back. Looking in the two directions, Sango sighed. "I'm guessing Kagome-chan and Inuyasha have had another fight. Am I right?"

Kouga looked at her and turned in the direction Kagome went. "Yeah, and I'm going to go after her."

"Wait Kouga!" Miroku walked up to him and sighed. "It's probably best if you left Kagome-sama alone at the moment. When her and Inuyasha fight, she isn't usually in a good mood. We should let her be on her own for a while."

"Whatever you say, Houshi. As long as she's okay." With that, Kouga stalked off and sat on a nearby boulder, his arms folded impatiently waiting for the return of Kagome.

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A/N: I know this first chapter is kind of boring, blah blah blah, whatever. I promise, it gets interesting soon. I'm having a lot of fun writing this. I guess you know what I'm gonna say next (because everyone does)...

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. Haha, I bet you didn't expect that. Oh, by the way, review please! The more reviwes I receive, the more motivated I am to keep writing!


	2. Danger Ahead

Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. twitch Why do you people do this to me?!? Oh yeah, thanks to the two who reviewed. I appreciate it. I don't know if it's a great start or not, but I'm happy. I'm updating as soon as I can, with school and such.

japanesegirl101 - Thanks! I thought so too!  
kagome gal 20 - I added the pairings now, sorry about that earlier. Hope you like this next chapter.

A/N: So, recap. Inuyasha and Kagome had a fight with Kouga, Ginta, and Hakkaku as witnesses. To make it worse, some creepy thing is wandering around with tons of power and the jewel shards. Bet you can't guess who it is.

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_Chapter 2 - Danger Ahead_

Kagome brushed some more dirt from her face as she stormed furiously through the heavily wooded area. Her clumsiness didn't let her down – she tripped and went plunging to the ground. She propped her elbows on the forest floor and let out a cry of anguish. "Inuyasha! Why do you have to be like this?!" Rearranging herself to a kneeling position, she sighed. "Maybe it was my fault too..."Shortly thereafter, her miko powers brought her to her senses. She stood up and looked around cautiously. The Sacred Jewel shards were near by. Glancing around wildly, her instincts were shouting at her. She turned and ran back to the place where she left so angrily. The branches and twigs tore at her face, making her wince with pain. But she just kept going, afraid what might appear if she looked back.

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Inuyasha turned and scoffed. _So, she's coming back already? Wait... _His eyes shifted from one tree to the next. _There's that smell again! What if the others are in trouble? _He ran as fast as he could when suspicion started taking over. "Dammit!" he yelled, cursing to himself. _Whoever it is is getting closer, I can feel it. _Anger and worry started to flow through his whole body. He stopped again to sniff the air, trying to track down where the scent was coming from. It was everywhere, and he couldn't pinpoint its exact location. A growl began to reverberate in his throat as he raced back to the others.

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Kagome ran to the clearing and staggered to the ground, her arms flailing around her. She stumbled hard to her knees and gasped for breath, waiting for the sting from countless scratches all over her body to fade. Her friends stared at her for a moment before Sango and Miroku finally ran to her side.

"Kagome-chan, what happened?" Sango asked worriedly. Her eyes were asserting mute curiosity and a tinge of fear. She glanced around as if something was going to appear from the trees at any minute.

"It's the jewel shards! I can sense them, they're coming closer," she managed to choke out. Her friends hadn't fully grasped what happened. They stared at her blankly for a moment, as if she had just been speaking a foreign language. Kouga had jumped up upon her arrival and was furtively scanning the area, his nose in the air trying to track down the scent.

Inuyasha jumped through the tall grass and held the Tetsusaiga at his side, fully unsheathed. "What the hell's going on?" He glanced at Kagome kneeling on the grass. "Kagome, are you all right?" His hands rested on her shoulders as he looked her up and down, eyeing all the cuts.

"I'm fine, Inuyasha. They're just small scratches. It's nothing." She stood up and glanced around, still a little nervous. "I can sense the power of the shards all around here." Kouga stood protectively by Kagome's side and put one of his arms around her waist, drawing her next to his side. "Can you tell which way it's coming from, Kagome?" A smirk crept to his face as he leered at the enraged hanyou, now clenching his fists tightly at his sides.

Kagome's face turned a faint shade of red as Kouga held on to her. She glanced up and a sigh escaped her lips as Inuyasha started venting his anger out on Kouga.

"GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF OF HER!" Inuyasha shouted at Kouga before he grabbed Kagome's arm possessively and tried desperately to yank her away from him.

"Would you two stop!?" Kagome pointed an angry finger at Inuyasha. "SIT BOY!" The yelling ceased and she sighed again, suddenly aware that the jewel shards were coming closer yet.

"If you three are done with your brawl, can we focus on the jewel shards?" Miroku asked sternly, looking at each of them in turn. "An evil aura is steadily approaching." The houshi's eyes were serious, making Kagome feel a tinge of guilt when he looked at her.

Inuyasha lifted his head off the ground and gripped the Tetsusaiga. Using it as support, he stood up and swung the sword over his shoulder, glaring at Kouga. His mood changed quickly when he turned around as something rustled in the bushes. A young girl stepped out quietly and smiled. Her eyes were green and she had blue-black hair that was hanging loosely to her lower back. Her kimono was green as well with blue flowers sprinkled everywhere.

Miroku grabbed the girl's hands, unable to resist temptation. "Would you do the honor of bearing my children?" Kagome and Shippou sighed while Sango gaped open-mouthed at the lecherous monk. _Can't he get his mind out of the gutter for one minute?!_

"What happened to focusing on the jewel shards?" Inuyasha asked angrily. "She wreaks with Naraku's stench." He poised his sword in front of him and smiled wryly. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're just another one of his reincarnations."

"Inuyasha! She has two jewel shards in her neck!" Kagome cried out. This girl wasn't human, couldn't Miroku tell? _He was too busy flirting to notice, _she finally decided.

Miroku let go of her hands, only to receive deadly glares from Sango. Her nerves and mouth twitched. _Boy, is she angry. I'm really in for it..._ He looked back up at the girl and sensed the evil aura around her. "Who are you?" he demanded, finally realizing she wasn't human.

The girl sneered as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "My name is Shiori. I've noticed that priestess can see my sacred jewel shards." One of her hands went gently to her neck, as if to caress the shards, whose power was pulsating from her body. "Unfortunately, she is the one that Naraku wanted me to kill." She spoke softly, but there was an evil drawl to it. With that, she raised her hand as an orb of energy grew in her hand.

Sango was faster. Her eyes grew wide with anger and she sprinted towards Shiori. "Hiraikotsu!" Sango's faithful weapon swung wildly at her and disrupted her concentration on the ball of energy.

"Impudent wench!" Shiori jumped up and slashed at Sango with her hands, claws flying every which way. Sango was sent flying backwards into the trunk of a tree. She gasped for air and closed her eyes, while the Hiraikotsu was too far away to reach. Giving into the dizziness, she closed her eyes and her mind went black as she slowly lost consciousness.

"Sango-chan!" Kagome broke free of Inuyasha and Kouga's protection and ran towards her unconscious friend. She kneeled down in the grass by her and wiped a bit of blood away from Sango's lip. "Sango-chan, can you hear me?"

Her eyelids fluttered slightly when she heard Kagome's voice. "I'm fine...don't worry about me." She sat up straight and winced, the pain from her collision shot searing to her head. "Damn her..."

Miroku looked at his beloved Sango. Anger was radiating from his very pores as he turned back to Shiori. He removed the prayer beads from his right hand. "Kazaana!" A burst of wind was sucking in everything in its way. However, Kagome had noticed something he hadn't. "Miroku, don't! There's saimyosho!" she exclaimed hastily, pointing towards Shiori as Naraku's venomous insects gathered around her. Miroku quickly wrapped the beads around his hand, panting. "Dammit, Naraku!"

Kouga jumped in the air and lunged at Shiori. "You won't be laying a finger on my Kagome!" He flared upon her, but she dismissed him with a wave of her hand.

"You're wasting my time, wolf!" She sent him sprawling back, a smirk playing on her face. "If you think that any of you are going to stop me, you're wrong!" Abruptly, an arrow went darting past her face. Shiori watched it out of the corner of her eye. Following the arrow's path, she set her glare upon Kagome. She was standing with her bow at her side, a hateful expression on her face.

"Next time, I won't miss." Kagome pulled the arrow back, aligned with the string of her bow. She stared at the area around her. Miroku was useless at the moment, Sango was injured, Kouga was still lying on the ground, and – well, she didn't know what Inuyasha was doing because he was gone. Her thoughts swarmed wildly in her head.

Shiori, however didn't notice. She was too busy worrying about the acute pain in her back. She turned slowly, only to see that hanyou behind her with his claws extended. _Dammit! I let my guard down! _Spatting blood from her mouth, she smirked. "You may have defeated me this time, but I'll be back for that arrant wench." Her feet lifted slowly off the ground and she began her leave, her eyes glowing with malice. _Bastards..._

Kagome sank slowly back to her knees by Sango's side. Her face showed weary exhaustion. It took only a minute for Inuyasha to run by her side and hold her in a tight embrace. "Are you hurt, Kagome?" His tone was soft and drizzled with worry.

"No, I'm okay." She blushed slightly as Inuyasha held her, but finally gave into the comforting, yet firm, warmth. "I don't know about Sango or Kouga though." She glanced at her injured friends and sighed. Pulling back from his embrace, she turned to Sango. She began rummaging through her backpack and pulled out her First-Aid kit. A clear, sticky substance was applied to Sango's cuts. "I'm glad you're okay," Kagome murmured quietly to herself.

Miroku walked over quietly and stroked Sango's cheek lovingly. She had fallen back to unconsciousness. Holding his hands up in prayer, he looked up only to see Kouga was being brought – or should I say dragged – along by Inuyasha to where Kagome was kneeling. He let Kouga drop to the ground and immediately turned away, his arms crossed. His face was wearing a grim expression.

When Kagome realized what Inuyasha had done, she smiled. "Thank you, Inuyasha."

"Damn right," he said, as Kouga slowly opened his eyes. "I did that for you, Kagome, not for him. I could've just left him there." Kagome turned and began him as well. Kouga was fully conscious now. He let her treat and bandage his wounds. When she was done, he smiled gratefully. Ginta and Hakkaku were waiting patiently, watching in amazement at what she did.

"Thanks a lot, sister," Ginta said. "We owe you one." The two wolves helped Kouga stand, and he started brushing himself off.

"Don't think I won't be back to check on Kagome. If anything happens to her, Inuyasha, you're the one I'll be after." He smirked and waved good-bye as he disappeared in a whirlwind. Ginta and Hakkaku started running after him, yelling for him to wait up.

Kagome sighed happily as she packed away her medic supplies. Sango was awake now and was talking to Miroku quietly. She seemed perfectly fine now, and all worry had soon evaporated from Kagome's thoughts.

"Feh, why'd you help that wolf, anyway? You could have just left him here." He growled a little as he sat down moodily on the ground beside her. "It's not like he needed it anyway."

Everybody looked up as Kagome slammed the cover to her First-Aid kit down. "I'm not going to leave him here hurt!" she replied hotly. "He needed our help, so I helped him. What was I supposed to do?" Brushing off her uniform, she put her kit in her backpack and slung it over her shoulder. Knowing Inuyasha, he wouldn't let this go easily unless she dropped the topic. "Are we going to go after Naraku and the jewel shards or not?"

"Kagome, what about that Shiori person? She said she was after you!" Shippou jumped onto her shoulder. "If you ask me, she sounds dangerous."

"Shippou's right, Kagome-sama. We're going to have to be extremely careful. We have no idea of Naraku's intentions. Therefore, it would be wise to stay low for a while." Miroku was now standing and acting as support for Sango, who was leaning on his side. She had a weak smile on her face, but her eyes were show enough that she was angry.

Kagome lowered her gaze to the ground and brought her fingers thoughtfully to her chest. _Why is Naraku after me? We almost couldn't handle Shiori this time. It was Inuyasha that really saved us all. What happens if..._ She shook her head as she heard her voice being called, her thoughts slowly leaving her mind, bringing her out of her reverie.

"Kagome?" She lifted her head up only to see a pool of amber staring back at her.

"What?" Her attention was drawn to Inuyasha standing in front of her. He blinked in confusion as she slowly realized she had been standing there like an idiot. A heat began to steal her face as it turned a nice shade of red. _Nice going. _She mentally slapped herself and began waving her hands in front of her. "No, I'm alright! Really, I'm just thinking." She laughed a little and sighed, hanging her head down and pretending to be suddenly interested in the ground.

Inuyasha scoffed. "Whatever," he said as he began walking away. "Are we gonna get going or stand around here while we wait for Naraku to make his move?" His impatience was showing as he frowned at them.

"Maybe we should go back to Kaede's village. We will be safe for the time being," Miroku implied. "Afterwards, we can go after Naraku."

Sango, Shippou, and Kagome nodded. Inuyasha grunted, which everybody took as an agreement. They all looked up as a soft rain began to drizzle from the sky. It splashed on their faces and crawled down their necks, dripping to the ground. The rain made a pattering noise as it began to fall more heavily. In this state, the group began traveling back to Kaede's village.

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Naraku glowered again at the girl bowing in front of him. She was trembling, and it made him smirk to see that she was so terrified in his presence. "So, Shiori, I send you off in search of that miko and ordered you to kill her. And you come to me with a wound in your back." He clenched and unclenched his fists at his side. If he killed her now, she would be of no more use to him. Instead he sat back down with his legs crossed and pulled something out from the folds of his haori – another shard of the sacred jewel. He flicked the fragment at her and it landed on her back. She whimpered quietly when the wound began to heal and the blood slowly stopped flowing. Her head snapped up as the pain entirely disappeared. A new power began to surge through her veins. The sacred jewel shard was supplementing her with tons of it, and it felt exhilarating. 

"I've changed our plans, Shiori. I intend for you to bring that wench to me. I will personally take care of her. You can go after the hanyou, Inuyasha." He paused and sneered, taking his eyes away from Shiori for a moment. "As for the demon slayer, Sango, I would like you to bring her here as well. I have a plan for these two. How you get them here if up to you. I'm sure you can figure something out." Naraku stood up and walked over to the door, sliding it open and stepping out into the cold night. He took a few steps and disappeared, leaving Shiori alone to contemplate how she was going to go about this. A smirk played at her face as she stood up and laughed quietly. "Don't worry, Inuyasha. I won't let Naraku down this time."

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A/N: So, what did you think? Reviews please! Tell me honestly what I think, I don't mind being criticized. It shows me places I could improve on. I know this chapter was kind of short, I promise the next one will be longer. I love ya guys!


	3. Kikyou's Return

Disclaimer: I'm poor. How can I own Inuyasha and all the other characters? Not yet anyway.

A/N: Thanks again for all the reviews! I'm updating the chapters as soon as I can, and trying to make them longer. I hope you like the story so far. Now to pay homage to my reviewers.

Mina Ravenclaw - I think the personalities are fitting pretty well with the characters, too. I'll update ASAP.  
Ferlooka - I'll plan on putting more of Miroku and Sango in the next few chapters. Thanks for the suggestion!  
aya143 - Thanks so much for the 2 reviews! I re-read the chapters so many times and add more detail wherever I can to make it longer and put a better picture in the reader's head. I'm glad it'sworking!  
trekker4life - Thanks for the corrections! I'm glad you spotted those. I took the advice and changed Wind Tunnel to Kazaana, and you're right - it does look better. Thanks again!  
japanesegirl101 - Yes..very suspenseful. I think it keeps the story interesting. Thanks for the second review!

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_Chapter 3 - Kikyou's Return_

Kaede threw another stick into the blazing fire. Kagome and Sango were sitting restlessly next to the heat that was warming the entire hut. The absence of Inuyasha perturbed them. Miroku had long gone in search of the hanyou, and had yet to return. They had no notion where the two of them had gone or when they would return.Miroku had made Sango promise to stay and watch over Kagome.

"**Sango, I need you to stay and keep an eye on Kagome-sama while I search for Inuyasha. After our ordeal earlier, it wouldn't be wise to leave her alone." The houshi gazed at her with serious eyes****The events that day had left them all exhausted.**

"**I understand. But hurry back." The taijiya gazed sadly after Miroku, who began walking furtively to the forest.****Sango ambled hurriedly to Kaede's hut and found Kagome kneeling with her hands on her lap. She went to sit by her, wrapping her arms around the young miko who began gazing wearily into the growing embers. They sat comfortably together, thoughts whirling in their heads as they waited for the arrival of Inuyasha and Miroku.**

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Inuyasha jumped higher into the old tree he had found. He had run for what seemed like forever in the seemingly never ending forest. Upon reaching a sturdy branch, he nestled his back against the trunk. His amber eyes stared off into the distance, in the direction of Kaede's village. Sooner or later, they would come in pursuit of him.Kagome was the only thing he was thinking of the whole time. Thoughts of her raced through his mind - what might happen if Naraku somehow managed...he began shaking his head furiously. "He won't lay a finger on Kagome. I'll make sure of that."

Deep in thought, the hanyou had not noticed that Miroku was standing under the branches of the tree.He was snapped out of his thoughts when a twig cracked. A downwards glance told him that Miroku had made the noise, most likely on purpose to get his attention. Inuyasha growled before lowering himself stealthily to the ground. "Is something wrong?" Inuyasha inquired, rather standoffish.

"Kagome-sama has been wondering of your absence. You disappeared earlier and have yet to return," the houshi remarked.The sun was slowly setting in the horizon as the sky turned into a rainbow of colors.The temperature outside was steadily dropping as well, and everybody at the hut was awaiting their arrival.

"Keh. I'll return whenever I damn well feel like it," Inuyasha muttered as he crossed his arms defiantly over his chest. Amber orbs flicked dangerously at Miroku. He was in one of his moods, and didn't feel like being confronted.

"Whatever you say, Inuyasha. I will inform Kagome-sama you are to return later." With a wave of his hand, Miroku thrashed at the underbrush blocking the path with his staff. The rings were making a light, metallic sound that echoed throughout the trees. The scowling hanyou watched him depart, left behind with his arms crossed.

As soon as Miroku left, Inuyasha sat down in a huff, cross-legged under the towering tree. He closed his eyes and leaned back, the silent wind carrying his silver locks with it. Guilt was growing inside him. The hanyou's growl was sounding deep in his throat. Finally giving in to his instincts, Inuyasha stood up angrily and buried his hands in his kimono. He trudged through the thickets and glanced at the surrounding around him stubbornly. "Dammit, Kagome."

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Kagome stood up indignantly and clenched her fists at her side. "Where is he?" Sango and Miroku looked up at her in questionable surprise. Miroku frowned when he realized when she was talking about Inuyasha, who still had yet to return.

"I'm sure he'll be here soon, Kagome-chan," Sango reassured her. "He has a lot on his mind. What with the fight this morning, and Naraku." The taijiya gazed at her softly, nothing but care and remorse for Kagome.

Miroku put down his tea as Kagome stomped outside. "I believe she's worried about him. It seems she's growing rather impatient..." He sighed heavily, putting his hands unceremoniously in his lap. "If he doesn't hurry, he's going to be buried quite deep in the ground," he said, referring to Kagome's powers of subjugation.

"Can you blame her? Inuyasha just disappears whenever he wants without a word to anybody." Sango shook her head sadly and closed her chocolate brown eyes. "I don't know how she puts up with him."

Shippou climbed onto Sango's lap, looking rather disheveled and tired. "Kagome's going to be furious when he gets back." That was the last thing he said before he began softly snoring in Sango's lap.

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Kagome crossed her arms over her chest as her eyes scanned the area around the village, looking for any sign of Inuyasha. _Where is he? _Thoughts began to swirl in her mind as she imagined what could've happened to him. She shook her head and bit her lower lip, worry taking over again._Stop that! He's a hanyou, he can take care of himself. Maybe I should just go for a walk. That might help clear my head. _Without bothering to speak to Miroku and Sango of her whereabouts for the next few hours, her legs carried her out of the village and towards the forest.

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Inuyasha sauntered into Kaede's hut, sitting cross-legged on the ground. Sango and Miroku turned their heads to look at him, curiosity brimming in their eyes. Growling intolerantly, he turned his head and stared back at the pair of them angrily. "Are you gonna sit there and stare at me or tell me what your problem is?"

"Did you talk to Kagome-sama?" Miroku inquired, sipping his tea once again. His violet eyes locked on Inuyasha, as if trying to read his thoughts.

"Would you stop staring at me, houshi? And no, I haven't talked to her. Where is the wench anyway?" He leaned forward, hands on his knees and a dangerous darkness to his golden eyes. His ears lay flat against his head, sensing the tension in the room. "Well, where is she?"

"You haven't seen her?" Sango asked anxiously, apprehension clouding her eyes. "She left earlier, we thought she went looking for you." Kirara padded over to her, letting out a soft mew as she sat on her hind legs and tilted her blood-red eyes upwards.

Inuyasha slammed his fists into the wooden floor with great acrimony. Without another word, he ran out of the hut, ceasing abruptly only to sniff the air. _I can't pick up her scent. _Eyes darting, he began sprinting again, towards the only place he could think of. _Is she at the well?_

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Kagome held her hand furtively to her chest, anxiety clawing at her insides. "Maybe I should've spoke to Sango-chan..." Her head snapped up when she heard a hissing whisper like noise. Glancing far to her side, she caught sight of a greenish-white color of a snake-like yokai that was gliding through the trees. "Does that mean Kikyou's around here?" Curiosity grew inside her. Unable to resist the temptation, she began running silently after the shinidamachu. _Curiosity killed the cat. But still..._ Kagome's breath came in short gasps as she stepped into a clearing, the area where the shinidamachu were wafting in circles around a tree. The sight before her was surprising, but that feeling soon began ebbing away. The physically dead miko and Inuyasha's old lover, Kikyou, was sitting on a low branch of an old oak tree. Her eyes were closed, her mouth set in a thin line. _She looks so peaceful...and sad. _Kagome took a few instinctive steps forward, but stopped dead in her tracks when Kikyou's eyes unanticipatedly opened.

"Kikyou?" Kagome's voice came out in a whisper, the monotonous word echoing quietly throughout the clearing.Her eyes rapidly blinked, comprehending the fact that Kikyou was laying right in front of her.

A smirk crept to Kikyou's face as she climbed out of the old oak. She cupped Kagome's chin gently in her hand. She was now looking eye-to-eye with the young miko, who was still in a bewildered state.

"W..what are you doing here?" Kagome raised her voice slightly, trying her best not to sound nervous or confused.

Kikyou didn't reply to her feeble question. Instead, she turned her back towards Kagome and let her shinidamachu circle her now outstretched arms. "I should be asking you the same question." Without an explanation, she began walking back into the forest. Her appearance began to fade, as if a dense fog was engulfing her.Soon she had completely disappeared. Kagome sank to her knees on the ground, chocolate eyes widening and staring after the long gone Kikyou.

"What was that all about?" She mumbled the question quietly to herself. She began shaking her head to try and rid herself of all the perplexity. Without another word and head bowed, she walked back into the forest, the path from Kaede's village leading the way.

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Inuyasha came to a halt, once again sniffing the air. _Finally._ He changed directions and sprinted at top speed, only a red blur in the trees. Kagome had been around here.

When he found her walking on the path, head down, he immediately ran in front of her and blocked her way. She looked up and into his amber eyes, relief spreading through her body. A smile broke on her face and she wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace. "Inuyasha...I was worried...so I went out looking for you."

He growled slightly and held her tight against him, his hands running through her silky raven tresses. "Stupid wench, you should've stayed in the old hag's village."

"I know, I'm sorry." Her apology was sincere, and she suddenly broke the embrace to step back and look him straight in the eyes. "What were you doing anyway?" She demanded, suddenly upset.

"Feh, it's none of your business," Inuyasha replied as he turned away from her, arms crossed.

"What do you mean? I spent half the day worrying about you because you didn't tell me where you were!" Kagome put her hands on her hips as anger flashed in her eyes. _I can't believe the nerve of that guy! _

"I went out for a few hours. What's the problem?" He had turned completely now, his back to her.

"I give up!" Exasperated, Kagome began trekking her way back to the village, fists clenched at her sides, muttering something about hanyous and stubbornness.

Inuyasha, not about to leave her alone again, began following behind her. He scowled deeply, but found himself staring at her back. _How did she come to mean so much to me?_

Miroku and Sango, who had quietly followed Inuyasha, stood up now that they were a safe distance away.

"At least she didn't sit him," Sango said nonchalantly. She blinked in confusion after the couple, clearly upset at each other, but equally glad to be in each other's presence.

Miroku sighed and scratched his head. "I don't understand it," he replied as he was calmly stroking Sango's backside. His expression showed innocence equal to a young boy.

"HENTAI!" The yell, and the slap followed afterward, echoed between the trees. "Could you get your mind out of the gutter for one second?" Miroku rubbed his smarting cheek and held his hands up in surrender. "You mistake my intentions! I was merely checking your flawless body for any signs of harm from earlier."

Sango crossed her arms as her mouth twitched in disgust. "Oh please, I know of your intentions. Don't try and pass that off on me." Kirara transformed into her larger form and waited for them to climb on her back. Sango threw her leg over Kirara and sighed. "Hurry up, Miroku. We have to get back to the village before Inuyasha does."

"You're right. If he finds out we were smiling, we would be in for a severe punishment, I'm sure." Saying this, he nestled himself behind Sango and wrapped his arms around her. Before departing, however, Miroku had another red spot on his face in the shape of a hand. "It's this cursed hand!"

Sango muttered something about hentai to herself as Kirara ascended gracefully of the ground. Her muscles stretched as she more or less ran through the air back to Kaede's village.

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A/N: I know, not a great chapter. Kind of short. Forgive me, I'll make the next one longer. I was in such a hurry. It took me forever to post, and I'm sorry for that. I'll try my best to get the next one up faster. Make me happy and review.


	4. The Insidious Plot

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, okay? Although I wish terribly that I did...

A/N: Inuyasha was being stubborn...once again. When Kagome went for a walk she ran into Kikyou, but she disappeared shortly after she found her. Now Inuyasha and Kagome are going back to Kaede's village, Miroku and Sango (who were spying - shame on them!) a short distance ahead. Thanks to my reviewers again, I really appreciate it!

_Chapter 4 - The Insidious Plot_

Upon arriving at Kaede's hut, Kagome found Miroku and Sango sitting rather fidgety around the fire. She sat down next to them, confused at their unexplained behavior.

"Sango-chan, is something up? You guys seem nervous about something..." She paused as Inuyasha entered the hut shortly after her. He glanced at the three of them quickly before deciding what they were discussing was unimportant. He sauntered over to the corner of the hut and watched them.

Miroku looked questioningly at Kagome, pure innocence playing on his face. "Don't worry yourself over it, Kagome-sama. It's nothing."

Sango tried her best to smile and put her hands in her lap to occupy them. "It's getting late. Don't you think we should all get some sleep?"

Eager to get off the subject, Miroku nodded. Kagome glanced one more time at the taijiya disbelievingly. Standing up, she went over to her yellow backpack and pulled out her sleeping bag, unrolling it on the floor.

"You're right," she replied, letting out a yawn threatening to tear her mouth apart at the sides. "I'm exhausted." She laid her head down and closed her eyes, falling asleep instantly.

Shippou ran over to snuggle in Kagome's sleeping bag by her. Inuyasha stood up and went outside to his tree for the night. Sango and Miroku gave the sleeping Kagome one last glance before laying down themselves. Soon the hut was filled with quiet snoring, everybody's mind relaxing for the day to come.

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Inuyasha lifted his head up to gaze at the rising sun. He rubbed the remaining sleep from his eyes and yawned before climbing down the Goshinkobu. His nose perked up, and he lifted it slightly to better smell the air. _There's that smell again! _"Oh no, Kagome!" Not wasting another second, he started the chase to the hut. "How come I didn't notice it earlier?" It was obviously the repugnant stench from that youkai girl, Shiori.

Warm greetings were called out to the hanyou back at the village, the presence of danger not apparent to them. His sudden arrival at the hut woke the flustered Kagome. Shippou rolled over slightly to look at Inuyasha before jumping out of the sleeping bag. "Is something wrong, Inuyasha?"

Sango, her sleeping disturbed, sat up to look dazedly at Inuyasha standing in the door way. Miroku sat up as well, noting something must be wrong for Inuyasha to be here at this hour of the morning.

"That Shiori person...she's back." Inuyasha looked at Miroku, Sango, and Kagome in turn. "Sango, can you stay and watch over Kagome? I don't want her outside..." His voice slowly faded, and before Sango could respond, he raced back outside, red kimono flapping in the wind. The houshi was shortly behind him, carrying his staff at his side.

Sango changed to her battle attire and grabbed Kagome's arm. "We have to hurry, Kagome-chan. You too, Shippou." The young kitsune jumped on Kagome's shoulder as she stood up groggily.

"Shiori's back?" Kagome rubbed her eyes and grabbed her bow and quiver. "But what about Inuyasha?"

Sango sent her a sympathetic glance. "He and houshi-sama will be fine. We need to keep you safe, Kagome-chan." That said, she led the miko and Kirara outside. Her alert eyes scanned the area to be sure there was nothing around.

Kagome's thoughts were spinning and flying in her head every which way. Her head began to hurt, so she tried to shut her mind out and turned her attention to their present situation. _Why is Shiori back so soon? _

Having decided they were far enough away, Kirara transformed and Sango climbed on her back. She motioned for Kagome and Shippou to do the same, making sure they were secure. They ascended off the ground. The village was slowly left behind.

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Inuyasha came to a halt and stared at what lay before him, his eyes narrowing. Miroku stopped at his side, panting lightly.

"It's a barrier." Miroku went up to the barrier and touched it, only to be shocked. He gazed upwards and stared at the dome-shaped wall that kept them from trespassing. A faint purple glow was transpiring off it, as if warning them of the danger.

"We're just going to have to get rid of it," Inuyasha replied, his hand on the hilt of his Tetsusaiga. He unsheathed it and held it poised in front of him. A glow began immersing the blade, causing it to turn a blood red. He swung the blade forward and onto the ground, directing the attack on the barrier. "Red Tetsusaiga!" The blade emitted a blast of red energy aimed for the center of the glowing dome.

The barrier began to dissipate slowly, the purple glow disappearing. Inuyasha sheathed his Tetsusaiga and ran through what was left of the barrier. _That was almost too easy..._ Miroku was shortly behind him. Upon seeing Naraku's castle, the pair stopped to glance around quickly.

"Naraku's stench is all over the place." A growl began low in Inuyasha's throat and he started running to the entryway of the castle. Before he could advance any further, Miroku put a warning hand on his shoulder.

"Don't be so rash, Inuyasha. We don't even know where Naraku is." He glanced at the castle and turned around, searching the area. "His evil aura is everywhere, so we have no idea of his whereabouts."

Inuyasha rested his arms at his side and blinked. "Whatever. Just as long as Kagome's okay..." His voice trailed off and he turned around perceptively, a low growl sounding in his throat. "That bastard...if he touches Kagome I swear I will rip his throat out!" Animosity flashed in his amber eyes and he turned his attention back to the castle. "Naraku's in there somewhere, I'm sure of it."

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Sango motioned for Kirara to lower towards the ground. Once at a safe distance, the taijiya jumped off of her back and waited for Kagome and Shippou. The only thing around them was forest..and more forest. When Kagome glanced at the sky, she guessed it was about mid-day.

"Sango-chan, do you know where Naraku is?" Worry glazed over her chocolate eyes as she gripped Shippou in her arms tightly. He looked up at her and blinked. The kitsune scurried out of her arms and onto her shoulder, watching her face closely.

"No, not right now. But we should keep going. We don't want to stay in one place too long." Sango adjusted the Hiraikotsu on her shoulder and started walking on some forgotten path. Branches from the many trees tore at her bare legs, but she ignored it. _Getting to safety is a lot more important than a few scratches on your legs...especially with Naraku..._

Kagome nodded. "Right." She began to follow the taijiya as Kirara changed back to her small form and chased after them. Kagome's eyes glanced around quickly and nervously. Vigilance engulfed her body as turned her head to look behind her. Sango was fully attentive and a scowl was drawn on her face. What stood before them shocked them inwardly – Shiori.

"What are you doing here?" Sango's suddenly menacing voice sliced through the tension in the air. Her Hiraikotsu was tilted at a throwing angle, prepared to throw it at any sudden movement from Shiori.

"I told you I'd be back." Shiori's eyes narrowed as she fingered a flower she had picked from her hair. "You can't hide from me, foolish mortals!" The youkai jumped high in the air, a glint of the sun in her eyes. The flower that she had pulled from her hair was glowing. The taijiya threw her boomerang, but Shiori was too quick. She dodged the Hiraikotsu easily. The flower she was holding began to glow. Her arm moved back, and was immediately thrust forward as she impelled the flower-dagger at Sango. Her chocolate eyes widened before the flower's stem stabbed the skin on her arm. Blood began to trickle to the ground as she collapsed to her knees, reaching her other arm down to steady herself. Her eyes were now blank. She pulled the flower out of her arm, wincing slightly in pain. Shiori came to collect the bloody flower off the ground and smirked, twirling it in her fingers.

"Too bad for you, this flower stem holds a poison which is now spreading through her body. She'll soon be paralyzed." Shiori glowered at Sango, now trying to stand. Kagome and Shippou had rushed to her side. The miko put a gentle hand on Sango's shoulder and coaxed her to stay still.

"I can't...move." The taijiya's voice was monotonous, the expression on her face turning from anger to confusion. After a strenuous minute of staying balanced, her arm gave out and she fell face first to the ground.

"Hey, Sango! Wake up!" Shippou started patting her face, urging her to move. "Sango?" The little kitsune clenched his hands into fists and glared defiantly at Shiori. "How dare you hurt Sango!"

Kagome grabbed her bow and positioned it, pinpointing Shiori's exact spot. "Why are you here?" she demanded quickly. The fact that she had put her friend out of commission had angered her greatly. _Inuyasha, where are you? _She narrowed her eyes at the youkai and growled, a noise that would make Inuyasha proud. _If only he were here. _She mentally slapped herself and shook that thoughts out of her head. _Focus! Come on, Kagome. You can do this! _

Shiori smirked, soon breaking into an insanely evil laughter. "You think you can overpower me? If Naraku didn't give me direct orders, I would kill you right now!" She was too busy laughing, however, to notice that Kagome had the arrow trained on her. When she did, it was too late. The arrow made a _whoosh _sound as it was released from the tension of the bow, and stabbed Shiori in the stomach.

A gasping noise was heard. Then laughing. _Why is she laughing? _Kagome blinked in confusion as she watched her arrow disintegrate. Shiori, once wounded, was now perfectly fine. _What's going on? _Any trace of a hole in the youkai's stomach had disappeared. A menacing smirk split Shiori's face. Shippou glanced up, aroused, any actions of comforting the paralyzed taijiya put aside.

"But...my arrow!" Kagome's expression became discomposed as she grabbed Sango's arms and attempted to pull her away. "Shippou, go find Inuyasha!" Her voice got through to Shippou, and he stood up cautiously.

"But what about you, and Sango?" Fear clung to his quiet voice. His green eyes were blinking rapidly.

"Just go! Hurry!" Kagome tugged again at Sango's lifeless form. She didn't have to say anymore, for Shippou was racing to find the hanyou.

Kagome gave an exasperated groan as she dropped to her knees beside Sango. _I can't give up yet! I won't let her win! _The girl she was referring to, however, had vanished. Kagome stood up again and anxiously glanced around. "She...disappeared." Her foot stomped to the ground in frustration, leaving an imprint in the dirt. "Please hurry Inuyasha...I don't know how much longer..."

Those were the last words that Kagome uttered before falling to the ground beside Sango. Shiori had silently made her way behind the fallen miko and stabbed her from behind with her claws. Kagome only had a glimpse at Shiori before everything went black. The angry youkai was glowering at the rendered unconscious forms of Kagome and Sango. "Pitiful humans..." She frowned and kneeled by the miko, cupping her chin and raising her pale face to meet hers. "What is it about her...that Naraku wants her dead?" As she contemplated this thought, Shiori raised her hands and, simultaneously, the two forms of the miko and taijiya was lifted off the ground. "They never stood a chance."

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An exhausted Shippou sat on the ground and crossed his arms defiantly. "Where are you Inuyasha?! Kagome and Sango are in trouble and I can't help them!" He clenched his little hands into fists and pounded at the ground. Tears splashed to the ground around him, now flowing uncontrollably from his green eyes. He soon began wailing before someone grabbed his tail and lifted him into the air. The kit was soon face-to-face with two pools of amber. "Inuyasha!"

"Yeah. Now what's this about Kagome being in trouble?" The hanyou's face loomed dangerously close to his. Miroku trudged ahead, looking for any signs of his companions.

"Shiori came back!" Shippou started pounding the air, swinging wildly in Inuyasha's grasp. "She paralyzed Sango and then took them both away!" He started wailing again, only to be punched in the head by an enraged hanyou.

"Well, where'd he take them?" Inuyasha's cracking knuckles could be heard. Shippou gulped in hesitation and timidly rubbed a rather large bump that could be found on the crown of his head. Tears again welled up in the kit's eyes before he brushed the away furiously. _Now is not the time to cry!_

"I'm not sure. Maybe he took them to Naraku's castle." Shippou landed on the ground with an oomph. He lay sprawled on the ground before he jumped up to look cross-eyed at Inuyasha. "What was that for?! Don't you know how to treat a kid?" A second look stopped his ranting. Inuyasha was growling quietly, nerves twitching. It seemed his anger was radiating off of him. The hanyou's head was bowed, eyes closed tightly.

"I wasn't there...to protect her..." Inuyasha's voice was cracked, and he spoke slowly. He glanced into the distance, as if trying to see through the trees. "Naraku, that bastard! Come on, Miroku. We're going back to his castle."

Miroku nodded sullenly. The pair of footsteps coming from Inuyasha and Miroku was the only thing that was heard. Shippou was jumping up and down before he realized that they had already left. "Hey! Wait for ME!" He began to run as fast as his short little kitsune legs would carry him. "Don't leave me behind!" Unfortunately, a root was sticking up out of the ground. Shippou tripped over it and went tumbling to the ground, completely a few somersaults before sitting upright. "Don't leave me behind!" the exasperated Shippou yelled, trying desperately to catch up.

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Kagome landed gruffly on the hard wooden floor, oblivious to anything around her. The deep wound in her back now felt as if it were on fire. Her uniform was stained a deep red. _Great. How am I going to explain this one to mom? _By the time she had barely opened her eyes, she found that Shiori had left the two of them alone. Sango was still only subconscious, but her eyes had opened.

"Ka...Kagome?" Sango uttered, well enough for Kagome to hear the soft spoken word. "Wha...what happened? Where are we?" The taijiya's eyes fluttered a bit. She let out a heavy sigh and tried to move from her current position. Laying on her stomach on a hard wooded floor wasn't very comfortable.

Kagome used her hands to push herself off the floor. A horrendous, searing pain shot through her back. Her breath came in short gasps, and she shut her eyes tightly. _All I have to do is sit up... _Trying her best to ignore the pain, she managed to pull herself into a kneeling position. All the over-exertion caused her to feel lightheaded. She began to swoon before she thrust both hands on the wood floor to steady herself. "I think we're in...Naraku's castle."

A quick gaze around the room didn't tell her much. There was nothing. Nothing to give them any clues of where they were or a way to get out – besides the door that Shiori had left. _Somehow that doesn't seem like a very good idea. _Kagome, feeling a bit flustered by now, turned her steady gaze back to Sango.

Sango, although her current state, was trying to move. Nerves in her arms twitched and wouldn't relent. She gritted her teeth and stared at Kagome with pleading eyes. "I can't...move."

Despite the wound in her back, Kagome crawled slowly next to the Sango. She was exhausted by now, and the pain in her back wouldn't go away. "That flower you were stabbed with, it paralyzed you." She glanced worriedly at the surprised and nervous face of one of her best friends. "I'm going to try and find a way out of here. I don't know how long you'll be paralyzed..."

"Kagome, you can't go by yourself. You're wounded..." Sango closed her mouth quickly when she heard footsteps.

They were walking slowly just outside of the door. The wood floor was creaking under the weight of whoever it was. The door slid open and revealed none other than Shiori.

It was Kagome's turn to glare in her direction. "Where's Naraku?" she demanded immediately. "How long until the paralyzation wears off?" Kagome's patience had worn thin. Shiori could see a faint pink glow emitting from the miko.

"It won't be long now." The mischievous look in Shiori's almost black eyes told them nothing. Her expression was unreadable. "It won't be long..."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

A/N: A cliffie, I guess. Sorry it took so long to update. What happened to my reviewers? I haven't received any reviews for this. What's up with that? Maybe I will, sometime. I love the way this story is turning out...unlike a fanfic I've done before. I'm just making it up as I go along. Hope it's not too bad.  
Push the button and make me happy.


	5. Unexpected Guests

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all other characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. But Seeing You Again is rightfully mine, since I wrote it.

A/N: Sango and Kagome have been taken to Naraku's castle. Oh no! What shall we do? Thankfully, Inuyasha and Miroku are on the way. But things may not be as they seem...

_Chapter 5 - Unexpected Guests_

Inuyasha, on the way to the castle, was slipping some pretty colorful words. Miroku, however, just scoffed at the hanyou. His mind was directed on one thing, and one thing only – his beloved Sango. Kirara rubbed up against Miroku's leg, as if to comfort him. The youkai cat had been left behind after Shiori departed. The disappearance of Sango had affected them both. They both missed her – the feeling was very much mutual.

_Hold on a little bit longer, Kagome. I swear that I won't let Naraku go this time. _Inuyasha blinked to keep the branches out of his eyes, shielding his arms in front of his face. Shippou was nervously clinging onto his back, having fallen too far behind earlier.

Inuyasha jumped high into a tree, to the very top. Leaves and twigs fell to the ground. Miroku glanced up at the two of them with curious eyes. He waited silently for the verdict.

"We're close." Inuyasha lowered himself stealthily to the ground, veering away from the branches beneath him. He looked at Miroku, nodded slightly, and took off again. Kirara was behind him, then Miroku. There wasn't much more distance between them and the castle. Naraku wouldn't get away with it this time.

Trees whipped past them. Wind flew in their faces, causing Shippou's eyes to water. He shut them tightly and buried his face in the hanyou's haori. Inuyasha turned his head slightly and glanced at Shippou. He somehow felt sorry for the kit – his adopted mother had been taken away from him. _Please hang on, Kagome._

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Kagome watched Shiori as she rested cross-legged on the floor. _I can't let my guard down. _But that youkai was paying no interest in Kagome. She was staring into nothing, it seemed. When Kagome tried to move, Shiori glared in her direction, eyes flicking dangerously. Kagome sighed and stole a worried glance at Sango, still laying on the floor.

The taijiya had fallen back into unconsciousness. Her face was pale and body unmoving. It was strange to see her laying like this. Kagome mustered up all her strength and stood up. She pointed an accusing and demanding finger at Shiori. "How long until she will be able move again? And why have you taken her, and not just me?" The miko was feeling nothing but anger now. _How dare she just come and take us here? What's her problem, anyway?_

Shiori cast an amused smirk at Kagome, a faint pink aura surrounding the miko. _The wench is stronger than I thought... _"The paralyzation should wear off soon," Shiori drawled on, uncaring. "And for your information, I was just following Naraku's orders. Why don't you speak to him yourself?"

As if on cue, the door once again slid open. Naraku himself was standing there, a gallant sneer on his face. It was windy outside, and his robes were billowing with the wind. A steady rain had begun to fall, pitter-pattering quietly on the ground. He stepped a foot in and shut the door behind him, laughing quietly.

_Maybe he's finally snapped, _Kagome thought wistfully. The insanely evil look on his face disturbed her. The wound in her back had stopped bleeding but was hurting terribly. A puddle of scarlet blood covered the ground where she sat. _I have to be careful, or my wound will reopen. _She heed no mind to it right now. "Why have you taken us here, Naraku?" Her voice sounded louder than she had thought it would.

Naraku took an intimidating step towards Kagome. She seemed to slink away, taking a step backwards and glaring at him with uncertain hesitation. "Inuyasha will come for us...me and Sango-chan," she said meekly, with much less strength than before.

An alarm went off in Kagome's head. Naraku began to laugh dementedly. His hand shot towards her neck and pinned her against the wall. She clawed at his hands, but his grip would not release. Black dots danced in front of her eyes, breath coming short. _I can't breathe...he's going to strangle me!_

Naraku's hand fell from Kagome's neck, causing her to crumple in a heap to the ground. Standing behind him, the taijiya caught her Hiraikotsu effortlessly, panting slightly. Her sudden movement caught Shiori off guard, who was now leaning back on her hands, anger flashing in her smokey eyes.

"Wench, how can you move!?"Shiori's angry cry echoed throughout the room. Her eyes were blazing with anger as she stood up, clenched fists shaking furiously at her side. All of a sudden, it seemed her anger vanished. Her arms hung limply at her side. A cocky smile spread over her face. "It seems I have underestimated you. You've broken through my paralyzation spell." Shiori bowed her head down and smirked. "You won't be doing that again."

Sango's eyes widened as Shiori pelted another poison flower at her. She held the Hiraikotsu in front of her to deflect the attack, sending the flower crumbling to the ground. Her glance turned to Naraku, who was glaring at Kagome and Sango in turn.

What he did next was not expected. "Come, Shiori." She stood up questioningly, shooting one last glare at Kagome. Naraku smirked and slid open the door, taking his leave, stranding Kagome and Sango. The room became eerily quiet while the rain drummed outside, the only source of noise.

Sango blinked and glanced over at Kagome. She ran hurriedly to her side and laid a comforting hand on Kagome's shoulder. "Are you alright, Kagome-chan?" Blood soaked her uniform, and her neck was red where Naraku held his grip. "Is your back hurting at all?"

Kagome gave Sango a soft and reassuring smile. "No, I'm okay Sango-chan. It doesn't hurt that much anymore." She coughed and wiped her bangs away from her eyes. "I just wish I knew what Naraku is planning. Sango-chan, I'm scared. Shouldn't Inuyasha be here by now?"

Sango wrapped a comforting arm around Kagome's neck and sighed, knitting her dark brows together. "They'll be here soon, Inuyasha and houshi-sama." Sango paused and examined the room. "But I don't think we should stay here. Something tells me Naraku won't be so lenient next time."

Kagome nodded and stood up with the help of Sango strong arms. The pair made their way to the door, slowly but standing in front of it no less. Kagome gasped and took a step back, shaking ever so slightly. "Sango-chan, it's the Sacred Jewel shard! There's one...one on the other side of the door." She spoke in urgent whispers, eyes widening. The presence of the shard made her shudder, and sent a creepy chilling feeling down her spine.

Sango reached a hesitant hand for the door handle. Her whole body had stiffened. She was terrified to open it, and had a strange feeling of who was standing on the other side of that door. Taking a deep breath, she wrenched the door open. It made a banging noise as it reached its end. Both of them froze, not daring to breathe. Sango stepped backwards by Kagome and turned her head around, tears burning in her eyes.

Kohaku.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Inuyasha growled and tore another branch from its tree. He stopped at the top of a hill and looked below him. Naraku's castle sit there, seemingly dormant. Kagome's scent was here too. Miroku was shortly beside him. Shippou jumped to the ground and began running down the hill. "We have to hurry, Inuyasha! Come on!" the kit shouted impatiently, turning back only to glance at Inuyasha and Miroku.

"Shippou's right, Inuyasha. We don't have a second to spare. Naraku's been known for his devious plots, that's for sure. Right now our help is needed."

Inuyasha nodded and ran down the hill, allowing Shippou to once again climb upon his back. Once again a familiar - yet repugnant in his...nose - scent filled the area. Miroku seemed to have noticed the difference in the air as well. Both heads turned in one direction. What did they see?

A mini tornado...and in the middle was one angry wolf-youkai.

The whirlwind got closer to Inuyasha...until it ran him over. Inuyasha groaned into the mud -which had come from the rain - and propped his elbows on the ground. (Now honestly, how mean can I be if I let my prideful inuhanyou reduced to a mud puddle...by a wolf no less?) "What are doing here, Kouga? Kagome's not here right now, so you may as well leave." If it was possible, Inuyasha sounded even more impatient and defiant as usual.

"What do you mean Kagome's gone? Where is she?!" The wolf prince grabbed a few tresses of Inuyasha's hair and yanked his head upwards so they were looking eye to eye. "If Kagome's hurt in any way, I'll have your head, mutt face!"

Inuyasha jumped up with such force that Kouga went stumbling backwards. "Feh. She's not hurt. She's just..." His voice trailed off and a grim expression set on his face. _But I could smell her blood earlier. She is hurt..._

Miroku coughed and the arguing pair, along with Shippou, turned to look at him. "If you 'boys' would stop arguing, we could go look for Kagome- and Sango-chan. Need I remind you that Naraku has them in his custody," Miroku stated calmly.

Kouga's fists began to shake, no longer holding onto Inuyasha. "What do you mean? WHERE IS KAGOME?!" His ice blue eyes shot daggers at Inuyasha, who was vehemently glaring back. Shippou buried himself under some of the hanyou's white hair.

"She's not here right now, dammit! And we need to go look for her, right now!!!" Inuyasha shouted back with much force. He began to stomp away in the mud. _Who does that wolf think he is? I can't see why Kagome's nice to him. _

Miroku looked hesitantly at the castle. There was something...sinister about all of this. Inuyasha, being rash as usual, didn't notice. Miroku rested his chin in his hand and sighed heavily, but started his decent down the hill, mud sloshing onto the hem of his robes.

While Inuyasha was cursing himself, Miroku having a mental argument, and Shippou still hiding under Inuyasha's white locks, none of them really noticed Kouga sprinting towards the castle. Not until Inuyasha stopped cursing and looked ahead did he see that Kouga was examining the entrance to the castle.

"Do you think it's a trap?" they heard Kouga question as the rest of them managed to catch up and look at the doors themselves.. There was nothing particularly special about the double doors - a towering fifteen foot tall oak frame with rusted metal handles and hinges.

Inuyasha cracked his knuckles and scoffed. "Well, what choice do we have? I don't care if it's a trap or not." He grabbed the rusted handles and pulled backwards. The large doors began to open, creaking loudly as they did. The doors lead way to a courtyard of sorts. A sidewalk wrapped around the center and lead to another set of doors on the far end. The whole area was empty...and eerily quiet, albeit the rain was still falling.

Shippou chose this time to jump to the ground as Inuyasha began sniffing the air. When he realized that Kouga had begun to advance forward, he started growling. "You can leave now," the hanyou told him, rather unpleasantly. "I'm not about to ask for help from some mangy wolf."

The pair came nose to nose, growling violently at each other. Miroku raised an innocent hand behind his neck and laughed slightly. "Two seconds in the castle and they're jumping down each other's throats..." he muttered to himself, momentarily forgetting about the youkai's sharp sense of hearing and extremely sensitive ears.

"I HEARD THAT!" Both Inuyasha and Kouga turned to glare at Miroku, who was now waving his hands defensively in front of his face.

"I didn't mean anything by it! Can we please just continue along?" Shippou chose this time to jump on Miroku's shoulder instead. Obviously the fighting had scared the young kit a bit. Miroku glanced sideways at him and nodded understandingly. He took a few steps towards the center of the courtyard and scanned around. "Can either of you sense Naraku from here?"

Inuyasha raised his nose in the air. "His stench is all over the place. I can't find where he is..." He draped the sleeve of his haori over his sensitive nose. His eyes narrowed as he glanced dejectedly at Kouga before jumping towards the second set of oak doors. The were almost identical to the other once, just about three feet shorter and not as rusted. The doors only creaked slightly as they were pushed open.

A long hallway lay before them, and two other halls perpendicular to it at the end. Kagome and Sango's scent mingled together with the others that inhabited the castle. It was difficult to say which way they were coming from.

Inuyasha smirked and drew his sword, preparing for any sudden attack. "Hurry it up, we don't have all day, dammit!" His footsteps echoed throughout the hall, as long as those of Miroku and Kouga that followed.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Kohaku.

_What's he doing here? _Sango braced herself and turned back to gaze at her younger brother. His eyes were blank...lifeless. His face was expressionless. He stared at the two of them, obviously not recognizing either of them.

"Ko..Kohaku?" Sango finally managed to utter. His presence was barely tangible. Tears sprang to her eyes. _Now is not the time to cry! _

Kagome posited a hand on Sango's shoulder. Utter disbelief flared on her face as the blade at Kohaku's side was slowly raised above his head. She closed her eyes, bracing herself for the attack to come. Moments passed. Nothing happened. She opened her eyes a slit and peeked at Kohaku. Sango held fast to his arm, and he was vividly struggling against her strength. She finally overpowered him and sent his lifeless figure sprawling backwards.

Not wasting another second, Sango grabbed Kagome's arms and ran outside to the wooden walkway, which wound itself around the perimeter of the castle. Panting, Sango dared a look backwards. Kohaku was still laying on the ground. She forced back a couple tears and coerced the door open, dislocating it from its track. She pulled Kagome inside, who was now staring questionably at the sorrow-struck taijiya.

"Sango-chan...are we just going to leave him here?" Kagome asked weakly, not diverting her gaze. It didn't seem like Sango, to just leave her brother stranded outside.

Sango shook her head sadly. "We can't do anything to help. It's best if we leave him here..." her voice trailed off as she glanced off into the possible directions. They had two ways to go. "We should keep going, Kagome-chan." Before waiting for an answer, she headed to the right.

"Do you think Inuyasha or Miroku's here somewhere?" _Curiosity killed the cat...but satisfaction brought it back. _Kagome couldn't shake this dreaded nervous feeling. She quickened her pace to keep up with Sango.

"I think so, and we're going to try and find them. Are you alright for the time being, Kagome-chan?"

Kagome smiled softly and reassuringly. "Yes, it doesn't hurt that much any more. I can manage." She stopped at the next three-way intersection and sighed, as if about to give into defeat. "It's like a maze in here...which way do we go now?"

"I guess it doesn't matter at this point," Sango stated. A few steps in the hallway to the left of them, Kagome let out a small gasp. Sango turned back to stare at her this time. "Is something wrong?"

Spinning around to face the other direction, Kagome tried to focus her attention on one area. "It...it feels like that jewel shards are closing in on us, from two sides." A nervous expression flicked on her face. "One in Kohaku's direction, but there's two coming from the other direction. Who could that be?"

The presence of the shards were coming closer, one at a faster rate than the other. Kohaku appeared at the end of one side of the hallway, a scornful look on his face. He raised his weapon again, poised for attack. His deep red malice-glazed eyes didn't flicker, didn't blink. Before Kagome and Sango could turn to run...

he threw his blade. Straight towards the two of them.

A/N: Another cliffie! I didn't receive any reviews for the other chapter. What happened? Ah, well, I guess I have to be patient. In my point of view, this chapter isn't my best. But I'll leave the judging to you. All you have to do is push the button and tell me what you think.


	6. Little Surprises

"Disclaimer: Inuyasha isn't mine...or Kouga...or anybody else in the story, except for Shiori.

A/N: I know the last chapter wasn't the greatest, so I hope to make up for it with this one. What's going to happen? I don't know (well, actually I do). Read on to find out! Oh yeah, and if you think by the name of this chapter that good things are going to happen, you're wrong.

Recap: Inuyasha, Miroku, Shippou, and Kirara (can't leave out the little fuzzy youkai, can we?) have finally made it to Naraku's castle. Oh yeah. Kouga's tagging along, since his beloved Kagome is obviously in danger. Kohaku's after Kagome and Sango. Just as they are about to get away, he comes and attack them. Cliffie!

I've decided I'm going to start updating every FRIDAY. Got that? Friday, because that's when I have the most time. Since this chapter will be done before Friday, you can expect two chapters this week. Now, for my reviewers.

Isolde Eris - Glad you like it!  
clnv - Thanks! I'm glad you think the story's interesting.

_Chapter 6 - Little Surprises _

Kagome stared wildly at Kohaku and the raised blade before realization hit her. She grabbed Sango's arm to run. A sharp pain seared through her back, but she grimaced and did her best to ignore it. The hall seemed to stretch on forever. There footsteps echoed throughout the almost empty castle, causing their footsteps to sound a lot louder than they were. That, and Kagome could hear her heart beating rapidly. Sango reluctantly allowed Kagome to pull her along. _Kohaku..._

After a few agonizing moments, Sango turned and stopped running. "I'm sorry, Kagome-chan. But I'm not going to leave him alone like this! He's my brother..." Tears welled again in her eyes and she shook them away furiously. She began advancing towards Kohaku, but the expression on his pale face didn't change.

Kagome reached out her hand and grabbed Sango's shoulder. "Wait! We can come back for him, but we should try and find Inuyasha and Miroku-san first. Then..." Kagome's voice trailed off. A shudder racked her body, and she turned around nervously. The Sacred jewel shards were near, and they weren't Kohaku's. Sango felt her tense up and turned around hesitantly. They both thought it was the same person. Naraku.

Boy, did they get a surprise.

Low shouts were heard from the hall to the left of them. Husky, deep, high, and shrill. Kagome smiled widely when she realized it wasn't Naraku. _But, then...what about the Sacred jewel shards? _Her thoughts were answered a second later.

Kirara, now transformed, ran around the corner and instantly to Sango's side. She let out what sounded like roar, although more friendly than most roars are. She saw Kohaku standing there, as if frozen, although his weapon was now at his side. She nuzzled Sango's leg, obviously knowing something was wrong with Kohaku.

Inuyasha turned the corner and stopped dead in his tracks. Kouga came around next, bending over and putting one hand on the ground to stop himself from sliding across the wood. Miroku came last, halting next to Inuyasha. Shippou was still on his shoulder. He jumped down and onto Kaogme's shoulder, crying out in delight. "We finally found you, Kagome! Sango's safe, too!"

Kagome blinked back tears. _In...Inuyasha. _She stared at him with innocent happiness...of course, Inuyasha wouldn't let anyone know he was ecstatic to find Kagome safe and sound. Sort of. (Hint hint)

Kouga, relieved to find Kagome safe as well, didn't try hiding it. He grabbed Kagome's hands and brought them close to his face. "Kagome, I'm sorry I let that mutt let Naraku kidnap you. But what can you expect for a pathetic hanyou?" He smirked as Inuyasha showed no sign of resentment. His head was bowed down, fists clenched tightly in front of him.

"He's right Kagome." A small gasp worked its way into her mouth and escaped her lips. He continued on, bracing himself for what he was about to say. Bitterness was edged into his voice. "I shouldn't have left you alone like that...you shouldn't have ever been brought here. I put your life...and Sango's...in danger," he concluded. Amber eyes stared her down, reading her instant reaction to his apology. "It's my fault."

The thick tension hung in the air. After a few moments of silence, running footsteps were heard. Everyone turned to see Kohaku running down the end hall. Barefooted steps slowly faded as Kohaku, too, disappeared. Just vanished.

"Kohaku!" Sango grabbed the Hiraikotsu and tried to chase after her kid brother, before Miroku grabbed her arm. She turned around to face him with hasty indignation. "Let me go! I have to go after my brother! I can't let Naraku take control over him again!" She struggled against Miroku's grasp, but he held on tightly and wouldn't let go.

"I know your brother means the world to you, Sango-chan. But there's nothing we can do for him at this moment. We need to try and get out of the castle," Miroku told her, calmly. He pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace.

Sango gave up trying to resist. She rested her head on Miroku's chest, sighing with a mix of exasperation and contentment. They weren't aware that everyone else was watching, but even if they did I'm sure they wouldn't care.

Inuyasha chose this time to rip Kouga away from Kagome. He stared Kagome straight in the eyes and frowned, smelling her. "Kagome, you're hurt." The slightly metallic tang of blood mingled with her own essence.

Kagome blinked in confusion before realizing that he was talking about the deep hole in her back. "Oh, it's fine now. It doesn't hurt that much anymore." Inuyasha walked behind her and examined her blood stained uniform, growling lowly. "Really, Inuyasha. I'm okay..."

Inuyasha cut her off sharply. "Naraku's gonna pay for what he did. No one hurts Kagome without saying hello to my Tetsusaiga afterwards," Inuyasha ranted, more to himself than anyone else in the hall.

"Yeah well, it's no problem now! We need to go find Naraku," Kagome yelled, probably a little louder than she should have. Kagome paused and glanced thoughtfully at Sango, who was now murmuring something quietly to Miroku. _They deserve some time alone. This whole ordeal must have been so hard on Sango... _"And Kohaku. We have to find Kohaku-kun."

"Keh, I'll never understand you humans. Naraku should be at the top of our priority list..." A sad glance from Sango and a sharp glare from Kagome shut him up. "Fine. We'll go after Naraku and Kohaku." He turned and crossed his arms over his chest, ranting and raving once again to himself.

Kagome sighed miserably and let her arms drop exasperated to her side. _Great way to ruin the moment. _Miroku cleared his throat and everybody turned to look at him. "Inuyasha, what happened to Kagome's backpack?" The hanyou let her yellow bag fall off his shoulders and handed it to Miroku. Kagome was clearly surprised. _He carried it all the way here, without complaining? _She smiled softly and accepted her bag, which had her bow and quiver of arrows tucked inside, along with the jewel shards. _Thank goodness everything's still here._

"Well, what's everybody waiting for? I want to hurry up, find that bastard Naraku and rip him to shreds," Kouga stated determinedly.

Sango turned away from Miroku, frowning slightly. "Do you think we should split up? We might be able to find Naraku quicker that way." But she was hesitant to leave Kagome alone. After all, the wound in her back had not completely healed. And what if Naraku came after her again?

Inuyasha nodded solemnly. "Alright. Kagome and Shippou, you come with me. Miroku and Sango can go the other way." He glared momentarily at Kouga and snarled. "And Kouga I don't care what the hell you do, as long as you stay outta my way. Let's go, Kagome." He bent down and she climbed on his back. She smiled as Shippou jumped on her shoulder and Inuyasha took off.

Sango and Miroku turned in the other direction and started running, the transformed Kirara following behind them. Kouga made up his mind and went through the last available hall, knowing if he tried to follow Kagome a fight would break loose between him and Inuyasha.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Inuyasha scanned the castle, searching for any signs of Naraku. Kagome and Inuyasha had been conversing, but soon ran out of things to talk about and just became silent. Occasionally Kagome would wince at a pain that shot through her back, but she tried not to think about it too much. Shippou was quiet as well, which was pretty surprising since usually Inuyasha had to hit him on the head to make him shut up.

Soon the hall gave way to a sliding door. Unlike the entrance doors to the castle, this one had eccentric decorations on it. Lines and shapes wove their way from the top to bottom. Deep colors splashed the surface, giving it a foreboding feeling. Kagome jumped off Inuyasha's back to examine it closely. She ran her hand along the swirling lines and narrowed her eyes in concentration.

"Inuyasha, where do you think this leads to?" She turned to face the hanyou, frowning slightly. "How come this door is so...fancy?" she muttered to herself, sorting out the reasons in her mind. None of the reasons seemed to explain the exquisite door, or where it opened up to.

Inuyasha scoffed and closed his eyes, tilting his head up ever so slightly. "Feh. What does it matter? It's just a door. And we have to go through it if we're ever going to find Naraku." He brushed past Kagome and put his hand on the door handle. He thrust the door open and stepped inside.

The room they stepped into was huge, much larger than any of the halls. The walls were painted red. Deep maroon rugs were laid out on the floor. The ceilings were high up, probably as high as Inuyasha could jump. A sizable scroll with writing in some archaic language was hanging on the far wall opposite of Kagome, Inuyasha, and Shippou. There was a large circle in the middle of the room. Its wood was darker than the rest, so it stood out pretty easily. Besides that, and lit candles wrapped around the circle. The room was pretty freaky to sum it all up.

Kagome blinked as Inuyasha started walking around the room. "Inuyasha...what do you think this room is?" Her hand was clutched tightly to her chest. Since nobody else was in the room besides the trio, her voice echoed off the walls and towards the ceiling. "Talk about weird..." Her voice gradually rose in pitch, a tinge of worry relevant.

Inuyasha scowled and rested his hands in his sleeves. "I don't like this room. Something tells me something fishy's goin' on around here."

Just as Inuyasha suspected, something definitely fishy was going on. A red light created a dome around the center circle. The silhouette of a figure began to form. Kagome stepped back in surprise and Inuyasha immediately gripped the hilt of his Tetsusaiga. A murderous laugh began to ring throughout the room.

I'll give you one guess to who it is.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Sango stopped at the next intersection, panting and trying to get her breath back. Miroku was shortly beside her. It was as if they were stuck in a maze. How big was the castle, anyway?

"Which way do you think we should go?" Sango questioned, shifting her gaze from one hall to the next. There were three: straight, left, and right. She readjusted the large boomerang on her back and frowned slightly. All these halls were quite unnerving.

Miroku knit his brow in concentration. He rubbed his forehead and let out a deep sigh. "It doesn't seem to matter at this point. We have no clue of to where we are, anyway." Suddenly his violet eyes seemed to harden. He started running down the hall to the left. "I can sense a demonic aura coming from this way!" he shouted back to Sango.

Sango got the message and started running after Miroku. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm positive. There's no doubt that one of Naraku's minions are somewhere at the end of this hall," he replied, somewhat calmly.

Sure enough, at the end of the hall there was an entryway. Miroku stepped inside first, quickly scanning the room for any signs of a youkai. As soon as Sango stepped in, she pointed ahead of them.

On a raised level of the wooden floor, a woman stood with a fan in her hand. A small smirk played on her face as she stepped down. She was waving herself steadily and slowly. Her red eyes bore into the two of them.

"Kagura! I should've known you'd be here," Miroku implied. He stared right back at her, clutching his staff tightly. "What do you want from us?"

Kagura laughed and took another step forward. "The only reason I'm here is because Naraku ordered me to kill you." She snarled and with a snap she closed her fan. "And there's no way for you to escape."

"What are you..." Sango was interrupted when a slam was heard behind them. The doorway they had entered through disappeared, revealing nothing but wall. Furtively, Sango ran her hand along the wall where the door was. "You'll pay for this, Kagura!" the taijiya snapped defiantly. Anger flashed momentarily in her eyes. "Hiraikotsu!" The giant boomerang was thrust in to the air and directly at Kagura.

"Fujin no Mai!" Crescent-shaped blades shot out of the fan. Miroku ran to the left, whereas Sango ran to the right. The blades ended up slamming into the wall and disappearing. The wind sorceress frowned and turned to Miroku. "As I said before," she yelled, "there's no way for you to escape!" With a snarl, she repeated the same attack at Miroku.

He wasn't so lucky this time. When he turned to run, one of the blades nicked his shoulder. Another one happened to leave a nice cut in his leg, making him fall to the ground. Sango didn't waste another second, and ran protectively to his side.

"Oh, no! Miroku, are you okay?" Sango examined the rip in his robes and helped him sit up. "You're going to pay for this, Kagura! Hiraikotsu!" Once again, Sango's weapon was sent spiraling through the air.

Kagura lifted her fan into the air and smirked. "Your silly attacks won't be able to reach me," she said dismissively. The boomerang deflected against something right before it hit Kagura. It was sent right back to Miroku and Sango.

Sango gripped tightly to Miroku's arm. She braced herself for the attack of her own Hiraikotsu, which came seconds after. Together, they went flying backwards and crashed into the wall.

Kagura laughed and waved her fan one more time. "My work here...is finished." A burst of wind came from the center of the room, and Kagura disappeared. The room became quiet except for the heavy breathing from Miroku and Sango.

Sango opened her eyes and sat up, holding her head. "Damn you, Kagura. What is this, a disappearing act!?" she yelled angrily to no one in particular.

"Sango, calm down. Be grateful for this once we were spared." Miroku said tentatively. He brought his hand to his shoulder and tightly clutched the bleeding gash. With the help of Sango, he stood up. A further inspection of the room they were in revealed no exit. "How are we supposed to get out of here?"

Miroku's question was answered. A quiet rumbling was heard from beneath them. The wood floors began to vibrate and shake. The rumbling noise soon became louder, until finally the boards collapsed.

Sango grabbed onto Miroku's arm, but couldn't find anything else sturdy to grab hold of. Boards tumbled down what looked like a black hole. Unfortunately, Miroku and Sango went with it.

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Kouga peeled his lips back to snarl. He'd been searching the castle for quite some time, finding nothing but empty rooms and halls. The only thing he'd found was Hakkaku and Ginta, who had found their way into the castle and happened to stumble into each other.

Ginta bent over and rested his hands on his thighs. "Uh, Kouga...do you think we could rest for a bit? It's hard to keep up with you, with all this running." He was expecting a punch from Kouga, but luckily none came. Hakkaku nodded in agreement to Ginta.

"We don't stop until we've found that damn Naraku and pay him back for what he did to Kagome," Kouga snapped. "Toughen up, already." The trio of wolf-youkai started running again, Kouga in his signature whirlwind.

After another few minutes of running, Kouga stopped. Hakkaku and Ginta crashed into him, not really paying attention to anything in front of him. They'd come to another room. The floor in this room was half gone, leading into blackness. Kouga walked up to the hall and squatted down, peering into the hole.

"Is there anyone down there, Kouga?" Hakkaku asked hesitantly. He kneeled down on the floor and leaned over the hole. He began sniffing the air, and Ginta followed suit.

"Someone's definitely been here," Kouga replied. "I can still smell that houshi and the taijiya. They've been here, and I bet they fell when the boards collapsed," he stated. "There's also the faint smell of blood." Without further ado, he jumped into the blackness.

Ginta stepped back in surprise. "Do you...d'ya think we should follow him, Hakkaku?"

Hakkaku nodded and grabbed onto Ginta's arm. "We...we have to." With that, they jumped, blackness swallowing them whole.

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A/N: And there you have it. That concludes Chapter 6. Three cliffies in one chapter! But don't worry,. I couldn't leave Kagura out of this story, since she's obviously one of Naraku's most important minions. I may bring Kanna in the next chapter as well. And what's Kouga without Ginta and Hakkaku? Please review and tell me what you think!

I apologize, but Chapter 7 won't be up until Sunday. There's been an emergency and I had to leave home for a couple days, so I don't have the file. I hope you guys can find it somewhere deep down to forgive me:(


	7. Sweet Escape

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all other characters are owned by Rumiko Takahashi.

A/N: Here is Chapter 7. Don't let the chapter title fool you, though. Oh yeah, and if you're wondering, I have a thing with two word titled chapters. I got into the habit and now it seems like bad luck to break it. I don't know why. Thanks again to all my faithful reviewers!

Isolde Eris - Well, here's the update. Sorry to keep you waiting!

Japanesegirl101 - I think you've reviewed for the most chapters so far. I'm so happy you like my story!

KagvsInu - I'm in your fav? Wow, I feel special. I'm glad you're enjoying it.

InuyashaxKagome1994 - I will definitely finish!

Thanks again! 

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_Chapter 7 - Sweet Escape_

A menacing laugh erupted throughout the room. Kagome stepped back in pure surprise and fear. Inuyasha stood his ground, knuckles turning white on the hilt of his Tetsusaiga. He put one arm protectively in front of Kagome and growled loud enough for it to be heard across the room.. _I _won't _let him get Kagome. Not this time._

Naraku was now fully there, albeit hidden behind a red barrier. He stared at the so-called "pathetic hanyou" and the young miko. "We meet again, Kagome. I see you managed to escape from Kohaku, as I thought you would."

Kagome glared daggers at Naraku, a glare which would probably make Sesshomaru cower in fear. "What do you want, Naraku?" Her voice held just as much - and maybe more - venom than Naraku himself.

This was much to Naraku's distaste, and he was now clearly agitated at Kagome's unfeigned bitterness. He raised a hand, causing the red barrier to slowly dissipate. "You surprise me, Kagome. You dare talk to me like that, especially with the hole in your back?" He sounded at that moment like a father scolding a young child (although, the child probably didn't have a hole in their back).

"No thanks to you!" Kagome crossed her arms huffily and turned away from him. "If anyone here is pathetic, it's you, Naraku," she stated primly. She narrowed her eyes and glowered at him, her rant unwavering. "If anyone here is a pathetic excuse for a hanyou, it's YOU!" Her voice cut through the air like a knife. The bravery that dawned on her was shocking. "YOU! Of all the pathetic, ignorant, deceitful, cowardly, stupid, manipulative, repulsive..." Her raving continued, before she finally stopped and raised her head to look at Inuyasha. Her usually chocolate, warm eyes were now hard and cold.

Tension hung thick in the air. Inuyasha turned his head to stare at her in surprise. _She's never spoke to anyone like this before...she must be really mad._ A smirk broke on his face as he turned his dancing amber eyes back to Naraku. "You hear that, Naraku?"

Kagome's speech was clearly egging him on. His brows twitched in annoyance, his knuckles turning ghostly white. "You dare speak to me like that, girl?" He raised his hand, and with an invisible force, Kagome was flung against the wall. With his hand waving dismissively, he turned his attention back to Inuyasha. "You should really teach that girl to hold her tongue."

Inuyasha turned his head around to check that Kagome was okay. He let out a sigh of relief as she lifted head and gazed at him warily. A second later, Tetsusaiga was drawn from its sheathe and poised in front of him. "You're gonna pay for that, Naraku. And everything else you've done."

Kagome held her head steady and stood up, trembling slightly. _I meant every word I said, and I don't regret any of it. _She scanned the room quickly and spotted her bow near the door. Once she was sure Naraku was distracted, she made a run for it. She dove to the floor and grabbed her bow and arrows, quickly rearranging herself to a sitting position. An arrow was aligned with her bow, ready to fire at any given moment. From her kneeling position, she closed one eye for steady aim. She released the arrow and watched it fly towards her target.

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Sango scrunched her face in confusion as she slowly opened her eyes. She was welcomed by blackness. The only thing she was sure of was that Miroku was somewhere down there alongside her.

Tentatively, Sango braced her hand on the floor and sat up. Wood and other debris was scattered on the floor, by the feel of it. Trying hard to concentrate on seeing in the darkness, she began searching for Miroku.

Sango's ears tingled as she heard a wary groan come from about three feet from where she was sitting. On her hands and knees, she crawled until one of her hands brushed up against Miroku's robes. It felt good to feel them beneath her fingertips, comforting, almost. With further examination she found his face and wiped away the dust that remained there.

Miroku opened his eyes to gaze up at Sango. They hadn't fallen to their death, after all. He reached his hands up and caressed her cheek gently. "Are you...are you alright Sango?" he muttered, only barely audible.

"I'm okay. But what about you?" Her eyes had not yet become used to the darkness. She moved her hand on the floor, only to feel a sticky liquid on her fingers. She had to bring her hand very close to her face to find out what it was. Blood. More specifically, Miroku's blood. Her eyes widened as she tried to find where he had been hurt. Miroku did not agree with this so much, as he consistently reminded her she was just fine.

After a few minutes of bickering and with some help from Sango, Miroku managed to sit up. They'd discovered that his head was hit on the way down, probably by a piece of wood. Sango persistently tried to coax him to lay down and rest.

"This is a minor cut, Sango. I'll be fine. Besides, how are we going to find our way out of here if I'm resting?" He tried to reassure her. She finally let out an exasperated sigh and turned to look around, giving into the houshi's pleading.

She figured about half of the floor had fallen down. Kagura was no where in sight. They were alone. Their only source of light was from the room above, which wasn't very much. Since they had fallen, Miroku figured they were in the basement, or as Naraku might like to call it, the dungeon. But they did have Kirara with them, who followed Sango and Miroku around.

They soon figured out why it was called a dungeon. Standing up, hand in hand, they went to explore in the darkness. It seemed there were cells aligned with the walls, but there was nothing in them (thank Gods). By now they could see somewhat in front of them, so I guess it wasn't _totally _dark.

Sango instinctively put her hand on her Hiraikotsu, which she had managed to find among the rubble, when they heard voices above them. She was guessing three people...demons...whatever they were. Kirara meowed and looked up through the hole in the ceiling. Since she hadn't transformed, they were guessing it wasn't anyone dangerous. Miroku obviously heard as well, because he was glancing upwards. Bits and pieces of a conversation was heard:

"Is there anyone down there, Kouga?" Hakkaku asked hesitantly.

"Someone's definitely been here," Kouga replied. "I can still smell that houshi and the taijiya. They've been here, and I bet they fell when the boards collapsed," he stated. "There's also the faint smell of blood."

Sango and Miroku exchanged quick glances. They knew instantly who it was, so they made their way back to where the floorboards first collapsed.

They were instantly greeted by Kouga, followed by Hakkaku and Ginta. Those two began wandering around. Since they were wolves, their sight was much better in the dark than humans. So, naturally they had no problems exploring the place.

Kouga crossed his arms and sniffed the air. "How did you guys get down here in the first place?" he asked. "I can smell Kagura. Was she here too?"

Miroku nodded quickly and pointed above them. "We had a...run-in with her earlier. After she disappeared, the floors collapsed and here we are," he concluded. "A few minor injuries, but nothing more." Bending down, Miroku picked up a piece of wood that was on the floor. Sango was thinking the same thing.

"But Kouga, how do you think the floor collapsed in the first place?" Sango wondered intuitively. "Do you think Kagura had something to do with it?"

Kouga started growling quietly and motioned Ginta and Hakkaku back to him. "More than likely. This castle's fairly new, and floors just don't suddenly fall all by themselves.

Miroku nodded and walked to one of the small cells for further examination. "And it looks as if this is where Naraku keeps his demons," he stated, referring to the claw marks and scratches, which looked like something was trying to escape. "So there has to be another way out of here."

Sango and Kouga nodded in agreement. They decided to stick together this time instead of separating. They all had to make it out, after all. Kouga was to lead the way, since he could see the best in the darkness. He would be followed by Hakkaku and Ginta, then Miroku and Sango at the rear. Since they were all pretty awesome fighters, they didn't have to worry about demons. For now, anyway.

They decided to follow the row of cells that were lined up against the wall. Kouga told them if something was coming up ahead and which way they had to turn. It was a rather large dungeon, so I think the fact that Miroku and Sango had someone to see for them made them feel pretty relieved.

Sango groped a cell bar with her hands after she stumbled over a detached bar on the ground (don't ask me what it was doing there). Miroku grabbed onto her shoulder so she wouldn't be left behind, and Ginta waited up for the two of them. Sango nodded her thanks, although Miroku probably couldn't see it. She switched the Hiraikotsu to her other arm and followed after Ginta.

Kouga stopped and signaled for the others to stop. Ginta and Hakkaku turned around to wait for Miroku and Sango. Once they were all caught up, Kouga raised his nose to sniff the air. The faint smell of Naraku lingered there, and a trace of some others that were unidentifiable.

He started walking again and the four others followed. Miroku kept his eyes peeled ahead, while Sango tried to see to the sides of them in the darkness.

Ginta sighed and rested his hands behind his head. "Have you found anything yet, Kouga? This place is giving me the creeps. Hakkaku followed suit and nodded.

"I think we're pretty close to our way out of here," was Kouga's only reply. It was quiet once again, and the only sound came from their footsteps on the hard ground.

"So, Kouga, have you seen Kagome or Inuyasha since we split up?" Sango asked curiously. She prayed that Kagome wasn't in any kind of trouble while they were stuck in this..dungeon.

Once again, Kouga's answer was short. "No. Kagome and mutt face are still running around the castle somewhere, searching for Naraku." He was beginning to wonder if he made the wrong choice when he didn't follow Kagome in the first place. "And if he knows what's good for him, he'll keep Kagome safe."

Sango allowed her face to break into a small smile. She glanced to where Miroku was standing beside him and nudged his shoulder. In her head, she was imagining him smiling back at her. That usual, lecherous smile he wore most of the time.

Kouga stopped again and peered up at the ceiling. About a three-by-three foot square was mismatched from the other wood. He smirked and turned around to face the others. "I think I found our way outta here." He crouched down and jumped up to the ceiling, sending his fist flying through the wood. Light shone through the hole he had made and spilled into the dungeon. It wasn't much, but it was still light.

Kouga, Ginta and Hakkaku helped Miroku and Sango climb up and through the hole, since it was higher than they could reach. Kirara was being cradled in Sango's arms. Hakkaku leapt up next, followed by Ginta and finally Kouga.

Miroku kicked a bit of wood that was laying on the ground. He dropped it into the hole and listened to it drop to the hard ground below. "Now that we're out of there, don't you think we should continue our search for Naraku?"

Sango started searching the halls, looking for any sign of Kagome and Inuyasha. Kirara knew something was on her mind, so she sat on her haunches and nuzzled her head against Sango's leg. She patted Kirara's head absentmindedly. "Do you think Inuyasha and Kagome have found Naraku yet?"

"It's hard to say," Miroku implied carefully. "But we should start looking for Naraku. If we continue on, we're bound to run into Inuyasha and Kagome sometime."

Kirara transformed, and Sango started running down the hall ahead of them. Miroku followed closely behind along with Kouga, while Ginta and Hakkaku stayed behind all of them. Kouga thought it best not to lose them now, so he ran at a moderate pace.

Sango glanced for a second at her arm where the poison had been injected with that flower stem. She grimaced at the memory, and once again prayed that Kagome was alright with Inuyasha. She didn't doubt him, but there was a nagging feeling in her gut. Something just didn't feel right.

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Kagome's arrow wasn't fast enough. Naraku raised his hand and caught it simply between two fingers. She stared in surprise as the arrow dissolved, and fell to a pile of dust on the ground. "He...he stopped it. My arrow didn't even scratch him," she muttered. She lowered her bow to her side and stood up slowly, glancing at Inuyasha. She'd failed him.

Inuyasha growled quickly and swung his Tetsusaiga over his shoulder. _Kagome's arrow didn't work... _He glared at Naraku, who was once again laughing murderously. _Something's not right here. What's he laughing about?_

"Inuyasha, you really are a fool, aren't you?" Naraku waved his hand in the air and stepped out of the center circle. "It's all happening right under your nose, and you haven't figured it out yet."

That ticked him off. "Look, I don't know what your playing at, Naraku, but I won't have to listen to it anymore once I cut you down with a slash of my Tetsusaiga!" Inuyasha held his sword in front of him, getting ready to attack.

Naraku snickered and glowered at Inuyasha. "Will you be able to speak so boldly once Kagome is dead?"

Inuyasha's eyes widened as he whirled his head around to look at Kagome. No longer was she standing, but kneeling painfully on the ground. Blood was pouring from the wound in her back. She held a hand on her stomach while trying to gasp for air. Her skin had turned a ghostly white.

"What are you going to do, Inuyasha? Before too long, she'll be dead from loss of blood," Naraku taunted. He was clearly feeding off of Inuyasha's anger. "But of course, I don't have to let her die. She could prove of great use to me." Naraku waved his hand again, and Kagome was lifted into the air, surrounded by a purple light. "Oh no, I won't let her die just yet." That said, Naraku started to disappear...along with Kagome.

Inuyasha bared his teeth and ran towards the spot where Naraku had been standing. "Naraku, you bastard! Come back and fight me!" These extremely loud and furious words echoed throughout the empty room. He was alone, and he let Naraku get away once again. With Kagome, no less.

Tetsusaiga returned to its original form and Inuyasha slipped it back into its scabbard. No sooner had he done that, standing in the center of the room with his head hung in defeat did Sango, Miroku, Kouga, Ginta, and Hakkaku entered the room. Sango saw Inuyasha standing there...but she also saw the blood on the floor. Kouga turned his nose in the air and sniffed, obviously searching for Kagome.

"I..Inuyasha...where's Kagome?" Sango asked hesitantly. Her voice wavered slightly as she examined the destroyed room.

Kouga crossed his arms and stood in front of Inuyasha. "I was wondering the same thing, mutt-face. Where is she?"

Everybody half knew what was coming. Inuyasha raised his head to glare at the wall across from him. "She's gone."

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A/N: See? Sango escaped from Naraku...unfortunately, Kagome wasn't so lucky. I know exactly how this next chapter's going to roll out. I'm so sorry I didn't get it up Friday...there was an emergency and I had to leave home for a couple of days.. Hope this chapter's not too terrible. :( But I need for you to decide. So review and tell me what you think! Chapter 8 will be done Friday.


	8. Naraku's Plan

Disclaimer: Okay, for the eighth time, Inuyasha doesn't belong to me.

A/N: Here is Chapter 8. This is going to be mostly with Kagome and Naraku, since this is all about Naraku's devious plan. I can't thank my reviewers enough for all of their compliments and coaxing to update quickly. What would I do without you guys?

Isolde Eris - Yeah...I can't say Kouga's the happiest wolf in the world

InuyashaxKagome1994 - Please don't cry! It will all be better in the end...Who knows when that is, though?

kagvsinu - I've been so excited the whole time I was writing this chapter. Hopefully you can hold it all in until Friday!

Recap: Sango, Miroku, Kouga, Ginta, and Hakkaku made their way out of the dungeon. Inuyasha and Kagome found Naraku. By the time the others found Inuyasha, it was too late. Kagome's gone.

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_Chapter 8 - Naraku's Plan_

Kagome slowly lifted her heavy eyelids. The sudden light give her a headache. The room wasn't dark, as she thought it would be. She was laying on a futon in the corner of the room. In the center was a fire that cast light and warmth everywhere. Besides that the room was pretty large for just a futon, but besides that, there was nothing out of the ordinary.

Kagome raised her head up to get a better look of the room. She expected pain to shoot through her back and straight to her head, but it didn't. Her back felt perfectly healed. There was no sign of her blood staining the futon. Confusion replaced fear as she scanned the room quizzically. _What's going on? Where am I?_

The rain had stopped falling and wind was causing the wood and roof to creak noisily. Though the fire was crackling, she began shivering. After deciding it was safe, Kagome stood up and walked to the center of the room in attempt to warm her cold and goose bump-covered skin. This was to no avail. The chill remained in her body, despite all of her attempts to get warm.

Trying to find the reason, she walked to the door and examined the frame. It was closed tightly on all sides. There was no other door or windows in the room. After a moment's hesitation, she decided to try and open the door. No luck. It was sealed shut.

Kagome returned to the futon and sat down, rubbing her arms absentmindedly. The last thing she remembered was being in a lot of pain, and then blacking out. Naraku had been there, and so had Inuyasha. Se also remembered trying to shoot Naraku with one of her arrows. Had Sango, Miroku, and the others found out what happened?

Her arrows! Kagome stood up again and walked the perimeter of the room. Her backpack wasn't there, nor her bow and arrows. Realization struck her and she groaned softly out loud. She sank slowly to the ground and onto her knees.

Naraku had gotten her jewel shards. They were inside her bag, and no doubt he had taken them. Try as she might, there was no sign of the shards being around.

Kagome snapped her head up at the sound of approaching footsteps. They were quiet, but since the only other source of noise was the fire, it wasn't very hard to hear. She jumped up quickly and clenched her fists at her side, just as the door started sliding open.

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Inuyasha returned the Tetsusaiga to its sheathe and started walking to the place where Kagome was sitting only moments before. He was furious at himself for letting Naraku take Kagome...right under his nose. What kind of protector was he?

Kouga growled loudly and brought a shaking fist right in front of Inuyasha's face. "How could you just let him go like that? And with Kagome?! I" the wolf youkai shouted. He crossed his arms and glared at the wall in front of him. "I don't know what she sees in a mutt face like you." Ginta and Hakkaku stood back, watching the scene hesitantly.

"It...it wasn't his fault, Kouga," Sango said firmly. "Naraku is a master of tricks. I'm pretty sure that if Inuyasha did attack Naraku...he was at risk of hurting Kagome-chan as well."

Miroku nodded and knelt down by the puddle of blood on the floor. "By the looks of it, Kagome-sama's wound has reopened. Naraku's doing, no doubt. Am I right, Inuyasha?" He laid his staff on the floor and brushed his hand gingerly across the wood surface.

Inuyasha ignored the wolf's incoherent words and stood up. "Kagome's wound reopened, probably after she was flung against the wall," he uttered, pointing to the spot where the wall caved in and bits of wood were scattered along the floor. "She shot at him with an arrow, but it didn't even touch him!" he growled and clenched his fists angrily at his sides. "Naraku placed a barrier around her and disappeared, just as she fell unconscious," he finished simply, bowing his head once again. "It was my fault. I wasn't there...to protect her."

Kouga kicked a random piece of wood out of frustration. "Damn right! Maybe if you actually did your job and watched over her, she would still be here!!" Ginta placed a hand on his shoulder in attempt to try and calm him down. He brushed it away swiftly and started pacing the floor. "I don't know about you, but I'm going to find her."

Sango stepped in front of Kouga, a scowl plastered on her face. "We're _all _going, Kouga-kun. Not just you." She turned her head towards Inuyasha and sighed. "I care for Kagome-chan just as much as you do. But that doesn't mean you can go barging in on Naraku by yourself!"

Kouga stared down at her in surprise, but soon covered it with a glare. He turned and stalked out the door, followed by Ginta and Hakkaku. Inuyasha ran after them. He wasn't about to let Kouga go off by himself. Miroku looked sideways at Sango and smiled knowingly. Sango smiled weakly back and started off to catch up with Inuyasha, Miroku close behind.

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Kagome stared into her own reflection in a mirror. Kanna's mirror. She scowled and growled somewhat, turning her back to the mysterious, yet freaky, dead-looking girl. Kanna had no emotion on her face...I doubt she had any emotions at all. Anyway, she tilted her head up to look at Kagome. "Naraku wants to speak with you," she said quietly.

Kagome clenched her fists in front of her, watching her knuckles turn white. "What does he want now? I don't want to talk to that bastard," she countered. Reverting her gaze from the wall, she turned her head to look at Kanna. "Not until I get my jewel shards back."

"As you wish." Kanna turned and started out the door. The only door that would lead Kagome out of this room. What other choice did she have?

Before the door was shut completely, Kagome grabbed hold of the edge. "Fine. I'll talk to him." Her head was bowed and she spoke to the floor, mostly. But Kanna heard her nonetheless, and turned to stare at Kagome with lifeless black eyes.

"Follow me." Kanna turned around to leave the room once more. She held the mirror close to her chest, arms wrapped around the top and bottom.

_This girl definitely has something wrong with her...She's so freaky. _Kagome impatiently shook these thoughts from her head as she followed the spooky white girl. She clasped and unclasped her hands. "So..what does Naraku want?"

Kanna didn't turn around. She just kept walking. "You'll see."

After they turned a few times, they came an elaborately decorated door. But this one was different from the one Kagome and Inuyasha came upon. This one had snakes running up and down the wood. What looked like purple and black smoke splayed painted across the surface. It wasn't a door that you see everyday.

Before Kagome could touch it, the door slid open. Kanna stepped inside and she did the same. _What am I getting myself into? _She stiffened her arms at her sides and glanced around the room. Candles...smoke filled pots...the whole Naraku decor thing going on.

As soon as Kagome stepped inside, the door slid closed. Then disappeared. Kagome turned back, a small gasp escaping her lips. She ran her hand along the surface where the door had been. "Naraku, what are you playing at? What happened to the door?" she asked vehemently.

A small chuckle rang from the far corner of the room. "What am I playing at? That door is just an illusion. Inuyasha won't be able to see through the spell, and even if he could, the door can't be opened." He stepped out of the shadows, staring straight at Kagome. Evil playfulness and merit danced in his red eyes.

"Couldn't he just destroy the wall?" Kagome asked dubiously. Her eyes kept wandering to her bottle of now black jewel shards...in his hand.

"The door is just a setback...a hindrance. I doubt he'll be able to figure out where you are before I'm through with you," Naraku stated matter-of-factly. He caught Kagome's eyes and held up the bottle of shards. A black glow emanated from them. They weren't pure anymore...they were tainted.

Kagome blinked. She forced the awed feeling away and replaced it with anger. "Give me back my jewel shards, Naraku," she demanded.

"Dear Kagome, these shards are all part of my plan. You can't have them back...yet." With swift movements, he punched Kagome in the gut, sending her flying backwards into the wall. When her head made contact, she fell unconscious. Exactly what Naraku wanted to happen. He handed the bottle of shards to Kanna. "I want you to place two of these shards deep in her neck. With the jewel shards tainted , she'll be under my control."

Kanna nodded and opened the bottle, taking out two of the jewel shards. Black jewel shards..filled with evil and hatred. She placed them on Kagome's neck, and watched as they slowly sank into her skin.

_When the wench is conscious again, she won't be able to refuse me. _

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Kouga ran his fist furiously through another wall. Miroku watched him curiously, showing no means to help the wolf. Sango, on the other hand, put a tentative hand on his shoulder. "We'll find Kagome soon enough, Kouga. But you can't destroy the whole castle...not while we're all still in it," she remarked.

Inuyasha grunted and crossed his arms. "Let the damn wolf do what he wants. He's not getting in my way." He walked through all the rubble, kicking random bits and pieces aside. "Are you guys coming?"

Miroku nodded and started following Inuyasha. Sango glanced quickly at Shippou on her shoulder, then down at Kirara. She, too, began following after Inuyasha, leaving Kouga, Ginta, and Hakkaku behind.

Kouga growled and balled his hands into fists. As much as he wanted to leave the mutt-face...he had a better chance of finding Kagome if he was with them. So he reluctantly started following them while Ginta examined the room Kouga's fist had smashed in to. Hakkaku nudged him in the ribs, and they both ran after Kouga.

"Can you sense any sign of Kagome, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked cautiously. He repeatedly let his staff slide through his hand, making little tapping noises on the wood floor.

Inuyasha growled and turned to glare at the houshi. "No! And would you stop doing that!" It was more of a demand than a question. When he turned his head around again, Miroku sighed and decided to stop. He resumed carry his staff tilted at his side. Nothing was worse than Inuyasha when he was extremely irritated. That, or when Kagome was taken away. But those two things were happening at the same time.

Everybody, including Kouga, was silent for a few moments. Shippou turned his head to Sango's ear and put a hand up to try and muffle his whisper from the others. "Do you think Kagome's okay, Sango?"

Sango stole a quick glance at Inuyasha. His ears flicked, which probably meant he could hear him. No doubt that Kouga, Ginta, and Hakkaku could hear as well. Miroku was the only one oblivious to what they were saying. "I'm sure she's okay, Shippou. Kagome's strong and strong-willed. I'm sure she won't give up," Sango whispered back.

Inuyasha's ears were flat against his head. He was thinking about what Sango said. _We can only hope that's the case. _He involuntarily clenched his fists at his side. Miroku, the oblivious one, took notice of this and frowned. "Is something wrong, Inuyasha?"

"Yeah. There's a lot of things wrong," he retorted, trying to relax his fists. "But the first thing we need to do is find Kagome and kill Naraku." He turned abruptly down the hall to his right, wandering in random directions.

Shippou groaned as Sango turned the corner. "Inuyasha...we've been at this forever. Don't you think we should have found Kagome by now?"

Sango shushed the kit, while Miroku rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "Shippou's right. Surely you should've been able to sense Kagome. Maybe Naraku put up a spell...or something." Sango bowed her head and contemplated Miroku's words. It made sense, in a way. Naraku had put up spells and barriers before.

Inuyasha stopped and reached his arm out to the side, motioning for the others to wait. Nose raised, he began sniffing the air. "It's Kagome...and Naraku." Sango gasped, and since Kirara could tell there was something wrong, she jumped to the ground and transformed.

"But there's something different about her scent. It's...altered," Kouga implied. Now Hakkaku and Ginta were smelling the air as well, hoping to single out Kagome.

"Kouga's right. This isn't Kagome's normal scent. I can't say, but there's something different about it," Inuyasha stated. He started running. Kagome's presence was slowly getting closer. There was an...eerie sense about it. It almost seemed malicious.

Kouga soon caught up to Inuyasha...but they weren't running for long until they stopped dead in their tracks. Around the corner, they were greeted by...Kagome?

Inuyasha stared wide-eyed at the girl before him. She sure had Kagome's scent, except she seemed different...evil, almost. She wore a blood-red kimono, with a black sash wrapped around the waist. Red was painted on her lips as well. Her hair was now on top of her head in an almost formal up do. The bow and arrows usually carried on her shoulder was replaced with a sword and a sheathe, tied to her sash with leather. Behind her stood Naraku, a smirk plastered on his face and baboon pelt tied around his shoulders.

Inuyasha blinked a few times before reaching a tentative hand out to the girl. "Ka...Kagome?" This couldn't be Kagome. What happened to her uniform? Her black hair that hung loose? The smile?

Naraku watched Inuyasha, clearly humored. "What's wrong, Inuyasha? Not what you were expecting?" He put his hands on Kagome's shoulders. "I'm surprised, she almost resisted me. But after a while she gave in. She's under my control. I doubt she can even hear you."

Sango poised her Hiraikotsu. "What did you do to her, Naraku?" Kirara growled and hissed at him, while Shippou just stared on.

"Fools. Isn't it obvious? She's under the power of tainted jewel shards. The only way she'll return to normal is if you get the jewel shards out."

Inuyasha unsheathed his Tetsusaiga. "Is that all?" He was about ready to swing Naraku, planning to cut him and his stupid baboon pelt in half. That was, before Miroku grabbed onto his arm, holding the hanyou back.

"And what's the catch, Naraku? You would never make it that easy?" Miroku asked, violet eyes narrowed.

Anybody who knew Naraku well enough knew that none of his "games" were ever that simple. There was a catch to everything. This master of tricks always had everything planned out, down to everyone's last move. Obviously there was a catch now. He didn't take control of Kagome just to have Inuyasha take the jewel shards right away. That would be too easy.

"The catch?" Naraku laughed. The evil laugh that everyone hates. "The catch is, if you take the jewel shards out..." he took his hands off her shoulders and stepped beside her. "If you take the jewel shards, Kagome will die."

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A/N: Cliffie! Please don't hate me! I'll work on the next chapter ASAP! Please review and tell me what you think!


	9. Kagome's Will

Disclaimer: Here goes. I'll move to an ancient shrine in Japan and jump down a well, traveling back to the Feudal Era. When I find Inuyasha, I'll put sleeping powder in his food or whatever. Then I can drag him back to my time and put a super-sticky sticker on his forehead that says "Inuyasha is MINE!" It's perfect! Then we can go live happily in the Insane Asylum together!

A/N: Here goes Chapter 9! Ok, I decided that I'm going to update whenever I feel like it. Done with the Friday thing. Since school's over, I have much more time and finish the chapters much faster than usual. I'm so excited about how this story's playing out. This chapter's a little more...humorous than the other ones. I didn't want the whole story to be all sentimental and stuff.

Once again, my faithful reviewers have come through!

japanesegirl101 - He's psycho, all right. Inuyasha and co. are certainly going to be surprised after this chapter

Taeniaea - Another pleased reviewer, I'm so happy!

Isolde Eris - So many twists and turns, _I'm _starting to get a headache...not really. ; )

Recap: Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, etc., etc., have finally found Kagome. But she's been possessed by the tainted jewel shards, and is under Naraku's control. That, and she's hardly recognizable with her totally "new look."

Ok, I'm not going to babble anymore. On with Chapter 9!

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_Chapter 9 _- _Kagome's Will_

Inuyasha darted his glance from the transformed Kagome to the devious Naraku. He growled loudly. Anger boiled inside him. "How could you do this? Sick bastard!" Inuyasha raised his Tetsusaiga, and was prepared to attack before Naraku spoke again.

"Kagome, kill him," Naraku commanded menacingly. She nodded slowly and raised her sword. Inuyasha seemed to stop in mid-air as he watched Kagome, wide-eyed. But she didn't bring the sword down. It seemed to shake in her hands. What was she doing?

Naraku frowned and leaned in close to her ear. "Don't resist me, Kagome. Kill Inuyasha!" he hissed. Inuyasha stared straight at Kagome's lifeless eyes. She was still resisting. Somehow, it seemed a small part of her knew what was going on. That she could still see through her lifeless eyes, and even though Naraku had control of most of her body, she still controlled a small portion of it.

Kagome blinked, and her hands stopped shaking. Everyone watched as her pale hands slowly released their grip on the sword, and it let out a metallic _clang_ as it clattered to the floor. She stood there, arms held above her head, staring straight at Inuyasha.

Naraku watched Kagome carefully as her knees gave out and she collapsed on the floor. "Kagome, remember what I told you," he sneered. After a few moments, he waved a lazy 'farewell' to everyone and disappeared.

"Dammit, where'd that bastard go now?" It wasn't Inuyasha speaking this time, it was Kouga. He sniffed the air, then turned to check the hallways. "He's gone. Not a trace left of 'im," he concluded.

Sango kneeled by Kagome's side and placed the Hiraikotsu on the floor. "Kagome-chan...can you hear me?"

Kagome's eyes snapped open at the sound of her name. Sango sighed in relief as she watched her. The usual chocolate brown eyes were bright, not lifeless and dull like they were a few minutes ago. She sat up warily and raised her head to stare at Inuyasha, then Sango and Shippou, Miroku, Kouga, Ginta, and Hakkaku. Basically, she turned to stare at everyone in pure confusion "Wh...what happened? Everything's a blur.."

Miroku kneeled on one knee by her side. He was deciding how to break this nicely. "Naraku had you under his control. He wanted you to kill Inuyasha." So much for breaking it nicely.

Kagome blinked once. Twice. Then she touched her hand to her neck. "He...he used the jewel shards." Her dull cry echoed through the hall. "It hurts. And I don't know how to take them out..."

_"Fools. Isn't it obvious? She's under the power of tainted jewel shards. The only way she'll return to normal is if you get the jewel shards out."_

_Inuyasha unsheathed his Tetsusaiga. "Is that all?" He was about ready to swing Naraku, planning to cut him and his stupid baboon pelt in half. That was, before Miroku grabbed onto his arm, holding the hanyou back._

_"And what's the catch, Naraku? You would never make it that easy." Miroku asked, violet eyes narrowed._

_Anybody who knew Naraku well enough knew that none of his "games" were ever that simple. There was a catch to everything. This master of tricks always had everything planned out, down to everyone's last move. Obviously there was a catch now. He didn't take control of Kagome just to have Inuyasha take the jewel shards right away. That would be too easy._

_"The catch?" Naraku laughed. The evil laugh that everyone hates. "The catch is, if you take the jewel shards out..." he took his hands off her shoulders and stepped beside her. "If you take the jewel shards, Kagome will die."_

"We'll be able to take the jewel shards out...right?" Kagome asked hesitantly. "If we remove them then Naraku won't be able to control me anymore," she said, almost hopeful. But inside she fell apart.

Inuyasha cast his head down to stare at the floor. He wasn't about to say anything. Maybe he felt guilty. Kagome looked at the floor, crestfallen. But Sango decided she'd have to be the one to say this.

"Do you remember what Naraku said, Kagome?" Sango asked hesitantly. She placed a hand on the girl's shoulder and tried to hide her despair.

_"If you take the jewel shards, Kagome will die."_

Kagome jumped up with such force that Sango fell backwards. Her hands were clenched at her sides. Obviously she remembered. "He's not telling the truth! I won't die! All we need to do is take the shards out..." Realization struck the poor miko. How were they going to take the shards out, when they were burrowed deep in her neck? "There has to be a way. Something we can do..."

Shippou chose this time to jump on Kagome's shoulder instead. "Kagome, maybe you can purify the shards. That way, Naraku wouldn't be able to control you anymore!"

The tension in the air seemed to lighten at this, Kagome's face brightened especially. "Then I might be able to take them out," she whispered excitedly to herself. "Shippou, you're a genius!" She scooped the kit into her arms and danced with him across the hallway.

Inuyasha scoffed and grabbed hold of Kagome's arm. "I think the tainted aura has gone to your head. Stop, before you crash into something!" he shouted at her. He paused and looked thoughtful for a moment. "And what's a geen-ee-us?" A faint pink had crept to his face, and he turned away to hide it.

Kagome watched Inuyasha quizzically for a few minutes before she started laughing. "It's someone who's really, really, smart, basically. They figure out complicated things that others usually can't." She waved her hand in the air nonchalantly and let Shippou jump back on her shoulder.

"So I'm a geen-ee-us, Kagome?" Shippou asked innocently. Apparently, he liked the thought that he was smarter than the rest of the group.

Inuyasha scoffed again and grabbed the kit by his tail. "Feh. In your dreams, Shippou." He released his tail and Shippou fell to the ground. Soon, they were having one of their famous arguments, except this time it was about who was smarter.

Kagome glanced around the hall before walking towards the wolf youkai, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. "Is something wrong, Kouga? You've been unusually quiet." She paused and crossed her arms, mimicking him. "I thought by now you and Inuyasha would be at each other's throats."

Kouga shook his head. "I'm glad you're okay, Kagome." Like always, he grasped her hands firmly and stared her straight in her eyes. "I promise, I'll destroy that bastard Naraku if it's the last thing I do."

"KOUGA! GET YOUR FILTHY PAWS OFF OF HER!" Metal scraping could be heard, and soon Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga was jabbed right under Kouga's nose. He'd pushed Kagome aside, of course, so he could glare straight at the wolf.

"Why should I?" Kouga asked, lips pulled back in a sneer.

Soon they were at each other like children. Shouting, pulling each other's hair, a few death threats..those kinds of things. Kagome stood in the background and watched as the two of them fought. Sango patted Kagome's back sympathetically as Inuyasha scratched Kouga's cheek, and soon after the wolf grabbed onto Inuyasha's two silver tresses and tried yanking them off his head. It looked similar to the way Kagome sometimes grabbed onto his hair, usually when she was angry.

Kagome buried her head in her hands and sighed, exasperated. "Here we go again." Miroku simply watched as they fought, a hint of a smirk on his face. Sango glared at him, sending him a warning, probably...

"Cut it, Miroku!" Sango yelled. She knew that look...his oh-so-famous lecherous look. Then there was a loud _thud. _Inuyasha stopped in the middle of biting Kouga's arm to stare at the two of them curiously. The wolf stopped raking his claws across Inuyasha's haori to follow Inuyasha's gaze. Hakkaku was holding onto Kouga's arm, and Ginta was holding Inuyasha, both trying to restrain them from ripping each other's eyes out. They, too, had their eyes turned towards Sango, who was now fuming. Miroku stood there, now with a large..and rather painful looking...bump on his head. He tried pleading innocently to Sango's back. Kagome sighed again and patted Shippou's head absentmindedly.

"Shouldn't we be focusing on the shards?" Kagome asked quietly. Shippou nodded in agreement. She turned swiftly and started walking down the hall. The protests of Inuyasha and Kouga were heard, and the whole group was soon chasing after Kagome, who was now a ways ahead of them. It wasn't long before she broke out into a run...which was pretty hard with a long kimono instead of her school uniform.

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Naraku watched Kagome carefully in Kanna's mirror. She was certainly stronger and more stubborn than he let on. Well then, he'd just have to make sure the jewel shards weren't purified...

Kagura tapped her fan absentmindedly in her opposite palm. She was purposely staying out of Naraku's way...she didn't particularly want anything to do with his plan, as usual. The only thing she wanted was to get the hell out of there.

She opened and closed her fan once as she watched Naraku stand to retrieve something in the corner of the room. When he came back to the light, he was holding the much larger portion of the Sacred jewel. She could only guess what he was planning to do...

As if he read her mind, Naraku turned, the jewel enclosed tightly in his fist. "As long as I hold the larger half of the jewel...she can't resist me. I have control over her." He smirked in the dimmed light, making him seem all the more menacing and sinister.

Kagura sauntered over to Kanna's mirror and bent down to peer into it. "It doesn't look like you've overpowered her yet," she retorted haughtily. "She seems to be resisting you quite well." At this moment, Kagome was running down the hall with that kit on her shoulder, being chased by Inuyasha and everyone else. Apparently she decided the sword would be somewhat useful, because she was carrying it with her.

Naraku snickered and tossed the jewel from one hand to the other. "Not yet. It's too early," he snapped. "Kagome will be of great use to me, when the time is right." He sat down and crossed his legs.

Kagura sighed and tapped her fan on her shoulder, somewhat impatient. When would the time be right? Naraku was so secretive...

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Kagome closed her eyes to shut out everyone's stares. But they didn't move. She opened one eye and peaked out at Inuyasha. "I can't concentrate...it's not working." Since Naraku held the jewel shard, she only managed to lighten it's aura a shade. She rearranged the long kimono and groaned, irritated. "And it doesn't help that this kimono's so long." Her fingers began tapping on the wood floor, trying to come up with another plan. She blew a strand of hair out of her face that had fallen from the up do. "Anybody have an idea?"

The group had found an empty room and decided to rest there. They all sat on the floor, cross legged, watching Kagome intently. But no one knew what to do, since the jewel shards weren't being purified.

Inuyasha slammed his hands on the floor, making everyone else jump, (even Kouga, though he would never admit it). "This is just great! We can't leave the castle until the jewel shards are removed, so would you hurry it up already?"

Kagome stomped up and clenched her fists at her side. "I've been trying!!!" She started pacing the floor, letting her anger and annoyance flow. "Don't you know that? If you have any smart ideas, I'LL BE GLAD TO HEAR THEM!" Kouga covered his ears and Inuyasha flattened his against his head. Shippou, Miroku and Sango plugged theirs. Kirara curled up in a ball and buried her ears under her paws and tail. Hakkaku and Ginta hid for cover in the corner. Kagome could be really scary sometimes...

Miroku leaned into Sango and used his hand to muffle their whispering. "Maybe the tainted aura of the jewel shards is making her more open to anger." Sango nodded in agreement, and turned to watch Kagome wear a hole in the floor.

Kagome frowned and sat back on the ground. "Inuyasha, sit." A nerve by her mouth twitched and she returned to tapping her fingers on the floor. "Trust you to not have faith in someone," she retorted as Inuyasha crashed face first to the ground.

Miroku winced. "Kagome, maybe you should lower your voice. We're in Naraku's castle, after all, and..."

"I will NOT quiet down!" Kagome jumped up again and crossed her arms. Maybe the jewel shards were affecting her attitude... "Why should I quiet down? Naraku probably knows where we are at this moment anyway!" She began pacing the floor again.

Sango stood up and put an arm around Kagome's shoulder. "We know this is hard on you. But if Naraku doesn't know where we are, shouldn't we should try and keep it a secret?" She mentally sighed in relief when Kagome took a deep breath and sat back on the floor.

Kagome rested her chin in her hand. "We need a new plan..."

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A/N: Yay! Chapter 9 is done! And yes, I admit, Kagome's a little out of character in this chapter, but that's because of the jewel shard's power. I hope you guys don't hate me for that... I'll be sure to update soon, but please review and tell me what you think!

Chapter 10 - A New Plan


	10. New Plan

Disclaimer: What am I supposed to write here? Something to do with Inuyasha...I think...whatever

A/N: Sorry it took so long...I had a case of writer's block. Kagome's going to be calmer in this chapter. Maybe if Naraku didn't have the larger portion of the Shikon jewel...she wouldn't be acting crazy::cough:: But whatever. I hope you guys like this chapter, I tried to make it longer than the other ones. Here goes nothing!

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_Chapter 10 - New Plan_

Kagome buried her head in her hands and sighed quietly. "I'm sorry you guys, I didn't mean to snap." She had resumed trying to purify the shards, but it didn't seem to be working.

Shippou suddenly became curious again and jumped onto Kagome's shoulder. "So why can't you just take the jewel shards out, Kagome? Couldn't you just pull them out?"

This thought had occurred once or twice in her mind, but she shook her head. "The way it sounds, Naraku's blocked me from the taking the shards out..with some kind of spell or something. I just don't think we should risk it." She shifted the kimono and gave everyone a very irritated look. "And this thing's way too long...and itchy."

Sango couldn't help but laugh slightly at this comment. "I'm sure we'll think of something. It's not like you're possessed right now or anything. That's good, right?" When no one said anything, she nudged Miroku, quite painfully, in the ribs and he coughed.

"Possibly...maybe Kagome's somehow channeling out his power. Blocking him from reaching her." He leaned into Sango again and tried to act natural. "Although it's sure affecting her mood..."

Miroku must not be very good at whispering, because Kagome sighed wearily and covered her face with her hands. "I know, Miroku. I already said I'm sorry. What else can I do?" Her voice seemed to quaver slightly, and her small frame started trembling.

Inuyasha, the thick-headed hanyou that he is, took no notice of this. "You could try taking the shards out again?" He didn't do anything until he could sniff out that salty scent...and lifted his head to peer at Kagome. Tears were spilling slowly onto the wooden floor and onto her kimono.

"Nice job, mutt face. What'd you do that for?" Kouga snarled. However, no one made any move to comfort her except for Sango and Shippou.

Shippou started patting her on the back gently. "Don't cry, Kagome. I'm sure Inuyasha didn't mean anything by it," he reassured carefully. "Idiot..." he muttered under his breath, muffled so nobody else could hear.

Kagome rubbed her eyes and smiled slightly. "It's okay." After a minute she sat up straight and clapped her hands together. She was smiling broadly now and looking at everyone in turn. "Alright, we need to come up with a new plan. I can't leave the castle until we get the jewel shards out."

Inuyasha "feh'd" and everyone turned to stare at him, even Kouga. "What? I just mean, why can't you leave the castle? Even if you can't, we could just leave without you..."

That didn't get off without a good hit from Miroku's staff and one of Kagome's 'sits.' He rubbed his head and lifted his face from the wooden floor. "What was that floor? I was just sayin'..."

Kagome rolled her eyes and glowered at Inuyasha wearily, who had resumed his sitting position. "How could you just leave me here?! If I leave, Naraku's going to come after us again, putting more people's lives at stake!" Sango and Miroku watched her admiringly, Shippou nodded, and Kouga, Ginta and Hakkaku...well, they were having a whispered conversation. (How often does that happen?) Kagome was probably the only person to have two jewel shards in her neck that could be endangering her life, yet she cares about the lives of others. Go figure.

Miroku pulled out a Sacred Sutra from the sleeve of his robes. "Maybe we could purify the shards with one of these!" He held it up proudly, and Sango frowned.

"Houshi-sama...I don't think that will-" Sango started.

Miroku slapped the sutra on Kagome's face and sat back to watch. Guess what? Nothing happened!

"Miroku, get this thing off my face!" Kagome asked loudly, though it was quite muffled. "The shards aren't being purified!"

Miroku ripped the sutra off of her face and she started rubbing her nose. "That hurt, you know!"

Shippou frowned and grabbed the sutra from Miroku's hands. "You don't even _have _powers of purification, Miroku," the kit reminded him matter-of-factly.

Miroku shrugged. "It was worth a try. Has anybody else come up with a descent plan? Kouga?"

At the sound of his name, the wolf snapped his head up from the muffled conversation to look at Miroku. Kouga turned his head back to Ginta and Hakkaku and nodded. "We're gonna go find Naraku. And don't even THINK about following us, got that?" That said, the three wolves got up and started walking towards the door. But Kouga couldn't leave without flicking one of Inuyasha's ears. "C ya, dog boy!" He waved again and soon started running, for Inuyasha had started chasing him.

"Inuyasha, don't bother. Leave Kouga alone," Kagome pleaded. "Maybe if he can get to Naraku and distract him, I'll be able to purify the shards," she said, halfheartedly. "I mean, what harm can he do?" Just then, a **bam** was heard a few rooms away from where they were.

Miroku shrugged again. "Besides destroy every room in the castle? Nothing, I suppose." Another **bam **sounded through the walls, and Shippou jumped. A few shouts were heard, and then the sounds of running footsteps.

"I guess he's gone to desecrate some other section of the castle," Sango implied. "At this rate, he has to run into Naraku or Shiori sometime." _Maybe even Kohaku..._

Kagome blinked at the sound of Shiori's name. "What happened to her? The last time I remember seeing her was after she left with Naraku." Her mind floated back to when Shiori left her and Sango in that room, Sango couldn't move, and she had a hole in her back... "And why do you think Naraku healed me?"

Sango blinked and turned her head to face Kagome. "Now that you mention it, I haven't seen any sign of Shiori since she left, either. I wonder what happened to her...And I suppose it would be harder to control you if you were injured."

Inuyasha scoffed and crossed his arms, nose turned slightly in the air. "Who cares about what happened to her. She was one of Naraku's minions. As far as I care, she could be dead right now."

No one reacted to what Inuyasha had said. They were just thinking. Nobody really felt like saying anything. The only one who really moved around was Shippou, who was skipping around the perimeter of the room, humming quietly to himself.

Inuyasha started growling out of pure annoyance caused by the unknowing Shippou. "Would you quit that already, runt? That damn humming of yours is getting annoying." One of the hanyou's ears twitched, and you could tell he was fighting the urge to bash Shippou's head into the ground.

"Kagome!" Shippou cried, and no sooner had he said that then the kit scampered to his perch on Kagome's shoulders. His face was contorted in a terrified expression as he settled under the wisps of Kagome's ebony hair. "Inuyasha's scaring me..." Although it was harder to hide, because most of her hair was put up.

Well, I'd be scared too if an extremely strong - and not to mention extremely irritated - hanyou was growling at you, both hands clenched tightly into white-knuckle fists. Which happened to be shaking in front of the young kit's face.

Kagome sighed and slapped Inuyasha's hands away. "Don't do that, Inuyasha. You know how that scares Shippou..."

"Keh. Scare? He's only feigning that so he can hide on your shoulder," Inuyasha retorted. Nonetheless, he retreated back to his spot beside Miroku and huffily sat cross legged on the floor, hands burrowed deep inside the sleeves of his haori.

Shippou sighed and crawled out from behind Kagome's head. He jumped quite happily off of her shoulder and ambled over to where Kirara was scratching her ears with her hind paw.

Inuyasha stood up and started walking towards the door. "That's it, I'm sick of this. We can't just sit around all day while Naraku's in another part of this castle, scheming who-knows-what. I'm going to look for him," he stated defiantly. "Sango, you should stay with Kagome. Are you coming with me or not, Miroku?"

Miroku nodded hastily and stood up to follow Inuyasha. Before he closed the door behind him, he turned and waved hastily to Kagome, Sango, and Shippou. "If there's any trouble, Kagome-sama, it shouldn't be too hard to find us."

Kagome sighed and stood up once the door slid soundly beside them. "How long do you think I can hold Naraku off? It's only a matter of time..."

Sango stood up and put a hand on Kagome's shoulder in attempt to comfort her. "Don't think like that. We'll find a way, I'm sure of it."

Kagome nodded and quietly sat back down on the floor. Shippou was, for once, quietly playing with Kirara. But her thoughts kept wandering back to when her and Sango were trapped in that room. She tried to push those thoughts away, they were giving her a headache.

"**Kagome, remember what I told you."**

Kagome gasped and buried her face in her hands. _Get out of my head! _But that same sentence was repeating itself over and over again. She felt a burning sensation in her throat and clutched her neck desperately to try and make it stop. Sango's perturbed voice was barely audible to her.

"Kagome-chan...what's wrong?" Sango rushed quickly to her side. "Kagome, can you hear me? Kagome!" She searched the room wildly for anything that might help them. But, unfortunately, the room was empty. All of a sudden, Kagome stopped shaking. Her body lay perfectly still, unmoving. Sango watched in horror as her friend lifted her eyes to stare at her.

The usual chocolate brown eyes were now black, just like they had been earlier. Sango watched in deft horror as Kagome reached her hand out to grab the hilt of the sword given to her by Naraku. "What are you doing?"

Shippou sensed the anxiety and fear that was in the air and scuttled over to sit by Sango. "What's wrong with Kagome?" the kit asked in an even more worried tone.

Furtively, Kagome stood up, sword held at her side. She was gone..again. Sango grabbed onto Shippou and nudged Kirara. When the youkai cat woke up, she immediately transformed. No one was sure what to make of Kagome's possessed form.

"**Kagome, remember what I told you."**

Kagome watched from inside her own body as Sango stared in horror at her. _What's happening? Am I being controlled again?! _She could only sit back and watch as her legs started moving her towards the door. _Stop it! I can't leave now! Wait a minute..what about Inuyasha? He doesn't know! _She tried to force herself to turn around and return to Sango's side. But she felt exhausted, maybe from holding Naraku back for so long.

Sango watched sullenly as Kagome ran out of the room. She wasted no time grabbing her Hiraikotsu and throwing Shippou on her shoulder.

"Sango, where's Kagome going?" Shippou asked fretfully from his perch.

Sango sighed and started running after Kagome, not paying much attention when she slammed the door behind her. "Probably going to find Inuyasha," she placated simply. _Naraku ordered her to kill Inuyasha, so it would only make sense..._

Shippou shut his mouth and sat dizzily as Sango turned corner after corner. They caught glimpses of Kagome's red kimono. Once she even turned around to glare at them, which made Shippou more frightened than ever.

What was this? Some kind of chase?

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Inuyasha opened yet another door. They'd been opening door after door after door...and found no sign of Naraku or Shiori anywhere. Miroku sighed as Inuyasha slammed the door shut. "Inuyasha, do you think it was wise to leave Kagome and Sango alone?"

Inuyasha snorted and all but ran down the hall, searching for another door to bust. "They'll be alright. Sango's with her, after all."

Miroku frowned and ran to catch up to Inuyasha. "Yes, but what if Naraku found out we left them alone and went after Kagome-sama again?" He must have made something in Inuyasha's head to click, because he turned around to glimpse quizzically at Miroku.

"Dammit. Why didn't you say something earlier?!" Inuyasha snapped. Without another word, he began running back to the room where Kagome and Sango should've been. Not a word was spoken to each other.

Until they rounded the next corner.

Inuyasha stopped dead in his tracks as he came face-to-face with Kagome. Well, they were on opposite ends of the hall but you get the point. He could tell by the change in her scent and her lifeless eyes that she wasn't okay.

"Kagome?" Miroku asked somewhat hesitantly. She was holding the sword poised in front of her, aimed dubiously at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha growled and tilted his head towards the ceiling, shouting to no one in particular. "Dammit, Naraku! You know I won't fight her!" The shout echoed its way through the hall.

Sango soon managed to catch up, and stumbled to Miroku's side. She took one look at Kagome and turned her head away. "I couldn't stop her. She was fine, then she started shaking and mumbling all sorts of things. I didn't understand what she was saying..." Sango panted for breath as she turned her stare from Kagome to Inuyasha. "Do you think she's actually going to try and kill him, houshi-sama?"

Miroku sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I don't know. Kagome-sama's probably fighting very hard against Naraku to regain control of her body. But besides that, I don't know if there's anything else she can do."

Inuyasha didn't unsheathe his Tetsusaiga. He stood there and watched Kagome carefully. "Are you going to attack me anytime soon? I won't fight you, but I sure as hell ain't afraid of you killing me!"

Kagome's grip on the hilt seemed to tighten. Her eyes flickered as she set her gaze on Inuyasha.

_I can't...do this. I won't hurt Inuyasha! _Despite her own cries in her head, her arms wouldn't cooperate. Slowly her arms started raising in the air. Kagome, from inside her head, watched in blind horror as her feet started running towards Inuyasha. _No! Stop it!!!!_

But it wasn't like she had much of a choice, now did she?

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Naraku smirked evilly and threw the jewel shard in the air again, catching it with his opposite hand. "So, the wench finally relented. I knew she wouldn't be able to last much longer..."

Kanna held her mirror steady as Naraku as the fight was mirrored within. By the looks of it, Inuyasha was making no moves to run away from Kagome, or even defend himself. He simply dodged her swings, and a few times the blade made contact with his skin. Kagura merely watched from behind Naraku's shoulder.

Naraku chuckled quietly at the fight ensued. "Inuyasha might not be around much longer..."

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A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! So, Kagome's possessed again. But Inuyasha won't fight...nobody will. So what's gonna happen? I'll update ASAP. Thanks again to all my reviewers!

Next Chapter - Deep Within


	11. Deep Within

Disclaimer: Do I have to say it? I don't own Inuyasha, okay?

A/N: I'm sorry for not updating sooner. My mom's got an pneumonia and I've got the flu. But I've been getting on the computer as much as I can, either until I get a headache or until my dad tells me to get off since I'm not supposed to be on when I'm sick in the first place. BUT, here I am, writing like crazy until my dad gets home from work. Thanks again for the reviews, especially Bedard. I'm so excited to start working on the next chapter!

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_Chapter 11 - Deep Within_

Inuyasha just barely managed to dodge another one of Kagome's blows. "Dammit, snap out of it already!" Miroku and Sango were making no move to help, as at this point, there was really nothing they could do.

Sango watched helplessly as her friend delivered blow after blow to Inuyasha. Kagome was showing no expression whatsoever, her eyes masked over with a deep brown and her mouth set in a grim line. She leaned against the wall behind her for support. Her mind wasn't registering Miroku's hand resting on her shoulder, nor Shippou tugging on her hair to get her attention from her shoulder.

Inuyasha jumped away from another of Kagome's swings. When the sword was brought down for the umpteenth time, he grabbed the blade between his hands. There was a scorching heat in his palms. Kagome's power had been focused on the sword, and now it was burning Inuyasha's hands. "You think you could actually hurt me, Kagome?"

At this comment, Inuyasha let go of his grip on the sword and the searing heat disappeared. "I won't fight you. Swing at me all you want, I'm not moving." Sango stared wide-eyed at Inuyasha, deciding if she should do anything to hold Kagome back.

But Miroku grabbed onto her forearm. "I highly doubt Kagome-sama would actually harm Inuyasha. Naraku may have control, but she's still there, resisting as best she can." Sango merely nodded and leaned back against the wall.

"Is Kagome going to be okay?" Shippou inquired quietly.

Sango had to flash him a quick smile. "Kagome's a powerful miko, Shippou. She'll be just fine." The kit seemed to think this a good enough answer, and jumped off her shoulder to Kirara's back.

Inuyasha sheathed Tetsusaiga and let the scabbard fall to the floor. "If you want to, go ahead. You have a clear shot." He had a sense of grim determination, much to the confusion of Kagome's possessed form. "Are you afraid?"

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Kagome's sword was lowered to her side. Her expressionless face stared Inuyasha down, unmoving.

_What are you_ _doing, Kagome? Kill him! _

Kagome watched in daft horror as Inuyasha dropped his scabbard to the ground. _I can't fight him...I can't do this! _She was still inwardly fighting for control over her body, but it was tiring work. If she wanted to win, she would have to have complete resistance. That seemed exhausting...Even if she did manage to take over, how long would it last?

Her legs weren't obeying her at all. Yet she brought up the fight again and tried to shut out the voices in her head. _I won't hurt Inuyasha. _Kagome fought with all she had. The other force, somewhere, seemed to back off a little. So when Kagome could just barely feel a numbness seep into her legs, she did the only thing she could do to keep from attacking Inuyasha. She turned and ran soundlessly down the hall.

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Inuyasha started to run after Kagome before Miroku let go of Sango's arm and grabbed onto Inuyasha's.

"Don't go after her. Not yet, anyway. We don't know where she's going. You still have her scent, right?" Miroku had come to stand on Inuyasha's side, watching as Kagome slid and skirted the next corner.

Inuyasha nodded and picked up his sheathe, stringing it back to his side. "Yeah. But what do you suppose we do while she runs loose in the castle?" His fists were clenching and unclenching involuntarily at his side, trying his best to hold back the urge to run after her.

Sango climbed on Kirara's back, situating herself behind Shippou. "We could look for Naraku. Who knows, maybe that's where Kagome-chan's headed." She was just as shocked as Inuyasha was when Kagome ran off. "Maybe she partly regained control and told herself to run. We don't know, Inuyasha, but we're bound to find out sometime." Sango shrugged halfheartedly and started stroking Kirara's fur, keeping her eyes locked on the back of Inuyasha's head until her turned around to look at her.

"Sango's right, Inuyasha. Kagome-sama's natural instincts wouldn't let her, even as she was possessed, hurt you." Miroku began fingering the prayer beads wrapped around his wrist and forearm. "But if she was about to bring the sword down, would you let her?"

Inuyasha's eyes seemed to darken momentarily, then he sighed. His hand was running nervously through his hair. "I don't know. Part of me strongly refused to think that Kagome would ever deliberately hurt someone. But I said I wouldn't move, and I meant it."

Sango nodded and decided there was no need to press on further. "Can you sense Naraku anywhere are here, Inuyasha?"

Well, of course he could sense him, it was Naraku's castle. He just didn't know where.

"Not right here. I can't pick anything up strong enough to lead us to him. His damn stench is all over the place." Just for good measure, Inuyasha lifted his head in the air and began sniffing. "But I wonder where that mangy wolf is. I thought he'd at least be able to sense the change in Kagome's scent." He smirked widely, despite the current situation.

"Damn right I could sense it, mutt face. Where is she?"

All heads turned to the end of the hallway at the sound of Kouga's familiar gruff voice. Nobody had to ask who the 'she' was. Hakkaku and Ginta were shortly behind him, albeit panting heavily.

"Ah...she ran off," Miroku cut in, giving Inuyasha no time for a heated response. "She came after Inuyasha, but ran before she could deliver the death blow." Sango frowned at Miroku and urged Kirara to stand by his side so she could smack the houshi upside the head.

She ignored the "What was that for?!" and turned her attention to Kouga, who was having a growling face off with Inuyasha. "Kagome was possessed by Naraku again, but we're guessing she regained control of part of her body before she could do any serious damage." Sango looked sideways at Inuyasha, who's face was covered with minor scratches. Skin was showing where his robes were torn slightly. "Inuyasha didn't fight her."

Kouga grunted and turned the other way, arms crossed proudly over his chest. "Do you know where she is now?" he asked over his shoulder, refusing to face Inuyasha. "This is the second time in one night, mutt."

Inuyasha peeled his lips back to reveal a snarl. "No, I don't know! And what are you talking about, the second damn time in one night?" He held two fists in front of him, prepared for a fight if Kouga wanted to give one. Miroku watched in pure amusement as Sango desperately tried to figure out a way to keep them from leaping at each other's throats.

Kouga still didn't turn around. "I mean that's the second time you let Kagome go. So much for a protector. I bet you didn't have the guts to go after her." He smirked in triumph as he listened to a growl start low in Inuyasha's throat, becoming louder by the second.

Sango clamped a hand over Inuyasha's mouth to keep him from responding. "Inuyasha tried to go after her, but we held him back, Kouga-kun. You can't blame Inuyasha for Kagome-chan running away." When she was sure Inuyasha wouldn't protest, she slowly lowered her hand from his mouth.

Inuyasha was glaring angrily from Kouga to Sango, deciding which one to pummel first. But when he turned to Shippou, that worried look in his green eyes, he knew that he had to find Naraku. "Yeah, whatever. We have to find Naraku before Kagome does." He sniffed the air profoundly, but Kagome's scent had become too faint to lead them to her.

Sango nodded as Miroku jumped on Kirara behind her. "Kouga-kun, what are you going to do?" The wolf hadn't mentioned what his intentions were, and Hakkaku and Ginta hadn't said a word.

Kouga seemed to think about it for a moment. "I'm going with you. There's no way I'm gonna let mutt face here let Kagome get away again. Besides, if we find Naraku, I have a few things to say to 'im." With swift movements, he cracked his knuckles and pushed past Inuyasha. He had his arms crossed over his chest and that I-don't-care-what-you-say-cause-I'm-gonna-do-what-I-want look set on his face.

Inuyasha 'keh'd" and decided it was high time to go find Kagome. "Just stay out of my way, wolf." He began running down the hall, feet landing softly on the wood floor with every step. When he was at the end, he turned his head to frown at the others. "Are you guys comin' or not?" The shout echoed across the walls, and soon Kirara and Kouga were running after him. "'Bout time."

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Kagome rested her hand against the wall, the other hand on her knee. She was bent over, panting heavily, hesitantly waiting to hear if there was footsteps behind her. But it was quiet. With trembling movements, she held one hand to her neck and the other to her chest. She had finally regained her breath, but the tingling in her neck wouldn't stop.

"I...I almost killed Inuyasha." Dark realization slapped her in the face as she stumbled under the heavy weight of guilt. "I almost killed Inuyasha," she whispered again to herself. "I remember fighting him, but I knew I didn't want to. Then he dropped his sword and..." her voice broke and she wiped at her eyes, dabbing away the tears that had formed from nowhere. "And I ran."

Part of her was glad that she ran. She didn't seriously injure Inuyasha, or anyone else for that matter. But the other part was mad, furious even, that she wasn't able to hold back Naraku any longer. She ran a tentative hand through her hair, groaning as a wave of exhaustion washed over her. "I don't know how much more of this I can take."

When she had herself under control, she forced herself to stand. It still felt like she was having an inward battle with herself, but it seemed the possessed side had backed down for the moment. She rubbed her neck furtively, trying to ease the tingling sensation that had settled there. Her eyes wandered aimlessly around the hall she had turned in to, trying to figure out exactly where she was.

Kagome sighed absently and turned her head to stare down both ends of the halls. "That's what you get for not paying attention to where you run. I wonder if Inuyasha and the others are looking for me..." She was deciding what to do.

She could stay there and sooner or later, Inuyasha would catch her scent and be able to find her. Then again, in that time the jewel shards could take over again.

Or she could start walking and try to find them while fighting off Naraku with what strength she had left.

Neither of these options sounded like a particularly good one, and there were many flaws. What if Naraku or even Shiori found her while she was wandering around, especially now in her weakened state? Or if the jewel shards took over and she completely lost control? It seemed like there was too much going on at once. Would it be too much to ask to just find a comfortable spot and sleep?

Kagome hitched up the kimono she was wearing in order to walk properly. Her legs were shaky and unbalanced, causing her to stumble a few times. By the time she reached the end of the hall, she was frustrated and had a pain in her ankle from tripping and bending it at an awkward angle. Since she was still able to walk, she didn't take the pain into much consideration.

With tentative movements, Kagome peered down the next hall, and to her delight, saw a plain-looking door that probably led into a plain-looking room. There might be a futon inside, or at least a place to rest for a little bit. There couldn't be any harm in that, could there?

Kagome sucked in a deep breath as she started her trek to the door. One thing at a time...and right now her objective was making it to the door. Soon, though, she forgot all about her ankle and was running. Her patience was wearing thin and when she was done running she could rest.

When she made it to the door, she was a little hesitant to open it. There could be anything inside. Right now she couldn't sense anything at all. But what if the tainted aura of the jewel shards somehow dulled her miko powers? She shook her head again, promising herself to think about it another time. Maybe when she got out of here she could even talk to Kaede about it.

Another few moments or so of preparation and Kagome finally slid the door open. She was right - there was nothing ominous or even slightly suspicious inside. A futon laying near the middle...and that was all she was really looking that. The wanting feeling to just lay down and fall asleep right there, letting all of her troubles go, was overwhelming.

She debated for what seemed a long time over this, standing stock-still in the doorway, all the time staring at the futon. What if Naraku came while she was sleeping? What if Inuyasha, or even Kouga, came after they caught her scent? What if she was possessed again?

'Too many what ifs,' Kagome thought patronizingly to herself. With an annoyed sigh at herself, she walked steadily towards the futon and practically threw herself on it. Her bed at home was softer, but still. After that one thought, her mind drifted back to when she was home last. She had been so excited to come back and see Inuyasha...and now, here she was. Trapped in Naraku's castle with tainted jewel shards jammed in her neck, threatening her sanity and Inuyasha's life. With another sigh, she propped her head on her arms and stared at the closed door. Inside, she was hoping that at any moment, Inuyasha would come bursting through that door along with Sango, Miroku, and Shippou. But it wasn't Inuyasha who came bursting through the door, only a few moments after she had found peace and almost drifted off to sleep.

It was Shiori.

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A/N: Oooh, I am evil! I'm sorry to all of you that hate cliffies, but I _had _to do this! My dad's going to be home in a few minutes. SO, I have to get going. But please review, I want to know what people thought of this chapter. I'll update as soon as I can!

Next Chapter - Battle Inside


	12. Battle Inside

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all related characters are quite obviously owned by Rumiko Takahashi.

A/N: I'm so, so sorry for the late chapter! Just as I was almost finished, we had to reboot our computer. And me, being as forgetful as I am, never loaded the chapter onto my documents. So I had to start all over. ::sigh:: But I'll try to get Chapter 13 up in a few days.

And a little side note: It's hard to control so many characters at once. I'm just not used to it. Let's see...I have Kagome, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippou, Kouga, Hakkaku, Ginta, Naraku, Shiori, Kagura, and Kanna. So forgive me if it seems like I'm leaving any characters out at certain moments. I apologize.

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_Chapter 12 - Battle Inside_

Kagome opened her eyes carefully, not knowing what to expect when someone roughly opened the door. She immediately sat up straight as her eyes locked on the girl youkai standing in the doorway. The sword being her only source of weaponry, Kagome grabbed its hilt and held it slanted in front of her. "Wh-what are you doing here?" she queried, words slurring as she trembled slightly.

Shiori stepped forward as pretended to examine her claws, feigning boredom. "Naraku asked me personally to come and retrieve you. He wishes to talk to you, and he couldn't let his pride and joy get away, now could he?" She smirked as her eyes glowed with a certain tinge of mischief.

Kagome, found with no other way to go, started inching off the futon slowly. She shuddered when her hand met the cold floor, sending a foreboding chill throughout her whole body. "You're sick! I will never go to Naraku! Last time I did, I had tainted jewel shards lodged in my neck!" Soon Kagome found her arm tangled within her own kimono. She had to take the few extra moments to free herself. _'Time's running out,' _she thought to herself flatly.

A flicker of uncertainty passed through Kagome's eyes, and Shiori decided to use that to her advantage. "If Inuyasha was coming, don't you think he should be here already?" she asked gently, almost soothingly, as if she could read Kagome's mind. "Naraku merely wishes to speak with you." She reached her hand out to touch her arm, but Kagome feverishly snapped it away.

The prospect of that was unnerving. _'This is all so complicated. What am I supposed to do? I _could _go to Naraku, but I may as well be walking into a trap. Kami, why does this have to be so frustrating?!' _Kagome sighed deeply and turned her head to the floor. "I'll go," she decided firmly. There was no point in trying to run.

Shiori smiled snidely. "Good. I expect he's awaiting you." She reached her hand out again to grab hold of Kagome's arm. She was completely shocked when her hand began to heat painfully. The miko's aura was swirling defensively around her in a tornado-like fashion. She immediately drew her hand away with a hiss, cradling it gently against her chest. "Wench, what'd you do?!"

Kagome blinked in confused at her arm, searching for a good explanation. Before she found one, a fierce pain exploded her head and traveled down to her toes. She crumpled in a heap to the ground, dropping the sword and furtively reaching towards her neck. The jewel shards were pulsing to the exact time of her heart. The pain was now focused there, burning with every throb. Her aura fluctuated wildly, surrounding her in a protective dome. "Th-the jewel shards," she managed to stammer, black dots dancing in front of her eyes.

But as soon as it came, the pain was gone. Kagome closed her eyes, letting out a deep breath she didn't know she was holding. The dots disappeared and left her vision a bit blurred. Nevertheless, she used the wall for support and drew herself to her feet. "I...I don't know what just happened." She raised her eyes to meet Shiori's stunned glare.

Shiori blinked as the burning pain in her hand subsided. _'Hell, she could have purified me.' _She smirked dryly to herself, amusing her mind when she thought about how much power the miko had. _'She'll be of great use to Naraku.' _With those thoughts lodged in the back of her mind for a later time, she waved her hand in the air. "Let's move it already," she commanded, urging Kagome to follow in her wake. They were headed straight for Naraku.

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Inuyasha rounded another corner, Kouga a few steps ahead of them. Kirara followed close behind with Miroku, Sango, and Shippou on her back. Last, of course, was Ginta and Hakkaku, clearly tired after all the running.

As soon as they came to the next corner, Inuyasha and Kouga were soon in a face-off about which way to go next. Sango sighed heavily as she watched the arguing pair. "Look, you guys, I think we might be lost..."

"WE'RE NOT LOST!" Both dog and wolf shouted in unison. Miroku stared at them blankly, frowning regretfully as they returned to their brawl.

Shippou glared at them. After a few minutes, he jumped off of Kirara and smacked them both upside the head. "If you two don't quit arguing, Naraku's going to find Kagome before we do!" he explained, backing away nervously when Inuyasha started growling.

"Inuyasha, that's enough!" Sango exclaimed, coming to the kit's rescue. She scooped him in her arms and only raised her head to glare at Inuyasha and Kouga. "Shippou's right. For all we know, Naraku may have already found Kagome-chan. And all you can do is sit here and argue about which way to turn!" Once satisfied, she stomped over to Kirara and climbed on her back, settling Shippou down in front of her. Miroku scratched his head, offering a mere shrug when Kouga and Inuyasha turned to him.

Inuyasha raised his nose in the air, frowning when he caught a familiar scent. "Hey, wolf, can you smell that?" He made a face, turning his head this way and that. The stench was mixing with Kagome's...but even her scent was slightly altered. _'Kagome's afraid...dammit, where are you?!'_

Kouga nodded, eyes shifting down each of the halls. "It's that damn Shiori," he snarled, hands clenching into fists. Hakkaku and Ginta watched Kouga curiously and began talking quietly with each other.

Realization snapped. Sango turned grim-faced to Kouga, eyes flickering with worry instead of frustration. "We need to find Shiori. Now." Her expression hardened even more when Inuyasha faced her, about to protest. "Naraku most likely sent Shiori after Kagome-chan...so if we find Shiori, she'll lead us straight to Kagome _and _Naraku."

Miroku nodded his head agreement. "Sango's right. Inuyasha, can you tell where their scents are coming from?" He, too, could sense a disturbing change in the air around them.

Inuyasha gestured down the hallway to the right, which Kouga nodded in approval. They both began running, Kirara along with Sango, Miroku, and Shippou very close behind.

It was eerie. The closer they got to Kagome's scent, the more it seemed to fade. The group turned corner after corner, Inuyasha and Kouga in the lead, of course. Kirara followed them faithfully, being sure to stay very close behind. Sango and Miroku watched carefully ahead on the lookout for anything strange or suspicious. Not until coming before a very large double-doorway do they stop and observe it. From what they could tell, Kagome was inside...but no one moved. "What the hell are we waiting for?" Inuyasha demanded, before gripping the door handle tightly and thrusting it open.

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Kagome watched the only door expectantly, absentmindedly stroking her neck. The pain had long since died down until it had disappeared completely, leaving her very disoriented and slightly agitated.

Naraku had exclaimed that, on instinct, Kagome's miko powers were constantly trying to purify the shards. Alas, when anyone touched her, human and youkai alike, her powers would fluctuate and have her aura swirling protectively around her.

She had remained in this kneeling position quietly, deciding if it was wise to give into Naraku's demand. He had promised that he would do nothing, so she was a bit addled. If he didn't want anything other than to annoy her royally, then why had he summoned her so urgently? But more important yet, why did she actually obey?

'_It...it was as if the shards were urging me here, lifting me off my feet and dragging me to Naraku. It felt like he was calling to me, and I had no say in what I was doing.' _She couldn't remember what she was thinking earlier when her instincts told her to follow Shiori. Regretfully, she buried her face in her hands and sighed deeply. _'I hope Inuyasha's here soon. He won't be happy, I can say that much.'_

Kagome snapped back to attention when she felt the presence of other jewel shards. Not Naraku's, because this presence was outside the room. There were two...After a few moments of contemplation, she let a small smile form on her face. The smile only got wider as the door was thrust open, and Inuyasha and Kouga stepped in.

She leapt joyously to her feet, about to go and greet her friends. She was, however, held back. Naraku had grabbed onto her wrist, reluctantly forcing her to stay in that spot. "How come...why aren't the shards reacting?"

Naraku laughed, all but tightening his grip on her wrist. "Kagome, I hold the larger portion of the jewel. Since I am controlling the shards in your neck, I am clearly not affected by your powers," he explained flatly, as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

Inuyasha frowned, eyes shifting from Kagome to Naraku. "Let go of her right now, Naraku, before I have to cut your arm off," he demanded cooly, lowering his sword only slightly.

The moment the grip on her wrist was released, Kagome ran towards her missed companions. She stopped in front of Inuyasha, glancing expectantly up at him. "Inuyasha...I'm sorry, I shouldn't have run..." She lowered her head, ashamed but at the same time overjoyed that they finally came.

Sango stepped forward as she reached her hand out, before Kagome abruptly swatted her hand away. "Kagome-chan, what's going on?" Even Inuyasha and Kouga were staring with genuine interest at Kagome's change in behavior.

"It...it's the jewel shards. My body's trying to purify them, so whenever someone touches me...they sort of...get shocked," Kagome explained hastily. "I-I don't know what to do." A single tear rolled down her face as she turned to glare fiercly at Naraku, attitude brusquely changing. "Take the jewel shards out this minute, Naraku. I'm sick of playing your little games."

Naraku snickered, snidely rising to his feet. "Why? I don't feel the need. You don't have your bow and arrows, and Inuyasha is not able to beat me using the Tetsusaiga." He smirked as he caught the outraged expression pass on many of their faces, driving Kagome off the deep end.

"You're a coward, Naraku! Hiding behind your closed doors and refusing to fight anyone." Kagome took a tentative step forward, her actions hidden under the long skirt of her kimono. "You're a coward and you know it," she concluded. Her voice was tinged with anger and hidden hurt.

Before anyone could blink, Naraku had appeared in front of Kagome. The front of her kimono was bunched in his grasp, lifting her off of her feet. She struggled valiantly, tearing at his hands with her nails. "Let...go of me!" she demanded furiously. As she said this, her own pinkish aura had forced Naraku to the ground, and she was immediately returned to her feet. She gazed downwards, frowning at what she had just done. When she turned to the group, they were staring at her blankly. "D-did I do that?"

Sango and Miroku nodded blankly, but Inuyasha had snapped out of his awed state. He held the blade of the Tetsusaiga inches from Naraku's throat. "That's what you get, Naraku. Now take the shards out before I slit open your throat."

Naraku chuckled while he sat up, much to Inuyasha's annoyance. "What's so damn funny?" he demanded, jetting his sword out another inch forward.

"You forget so easily. I have a hold on Kagome that you cannot reach," Naraku chided, drawing himself to a standing position. His hand clenched to a fist, and instantaneously there was a scream behind him.

Kagome had fallen to her knees, clawing at her neck madly. "I-Inuyasha..." That was all she managed to choke out as Sango kneeled by her, trying to figure how to calm her down if she couldn't touch her. Inuyasha pushed her aside, crouching down by Kagome's distressed form. His hands wandered aimlessly as Kouga snapped threats at Naraku, none of which seemed to intimidate him in the least. "It-it's the shards. Naraku's doing this..."

Inuyasha backed away as her aura began to fluctuate. Tears were flowing down her face, making Inuyasha feel worse than before. He wanted so desperately to calm her, hold her and tell her everything was going to be alright. But he couldn't even get close without being shocked painfully. He turned his contorted face back to Naraku. If not for the Tetsusaiga, he would have transformed into a full-blooded youkai.

"You did this, you bastard!" He motioned for Sango to kneel by her side and started wondering if there was a way they could coax her out of her current state... "I've had just about of this, Naraku. I'm sick of you toying with Kagome like this. You'd better take the damn jewel shards out before I rip you to shreds." His claws flexed dangerously and knuckles cracked responsively.

Naraku waved his hand lazily in the air. "You're empty threats mean nothing to me. I suggest you pay more attention to the girl if you don't want her to die." He smirked at the concerned look passing across the hanyou's face as he turned to glance at Kagome.

She was pressing the heels of her hands to her temples, bending over in her kneeling position. He could barely catch the sound of her incoherent words. She seemed so...helpless and pained. That was what drove them all up the wall.

Sango continuously tried speaking to her friend, as did Shippou and Miroku. But they doubted she could hear them. She was doubled over in pain now, rhythmically rocking back and forth on her knees. She became so distressed and eventually stopped talking to her, merely sinking into Miroku's arms. "I don't know what else to do...it's like she's shut us out."

Eventually, Kagome's aura faded. They had thought the pain had finally stopped, before she slumped forward on the cold floor. Her face had turned a ghostly white, accenting greatly with her raven-black hair. Inuyasha forgot Naraku for the moment, spinning around again to find her unconscious on the floor. He refrained from touching her, however.

Naraku turned around, smirking as she finally backed down. "Kagome's been fighting over control of the shards, but as you can see, she failed." He began walking back to the place he was sitting when Inuyasha had first arrived. He said no more.

Inuyasha slammed his fist through the floor, right out of frustration. "Dammit, Naraku!" He leaned forward, tempted greatly to pull Kagome into his lap. "You can fight this Kagome. You can't let Naraku win," he urged quietly.

Kouga paced the room aimlessly, growling lowly to himself and making death threats to Naraku. Hakkaku and Ginta kneeled down a ways from Kagome, waiting patiently for her to wake up. Miroku and Sango did that same, and Shippou was running around before Sango pulled him into her lap. "Kagome-chan's going to be fine, Shippou."

Inuyasha scowled, turning his face away from Kagome's still and lifeless form. _'She has to be. I just hope...it's not too late.'_

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A/N: I hoped you liked that chapter. Personally, I didn't think it was that great. I'll update as soon as I can (promise this time). ::heavy sigh:: Ah, well, now that that's finished, I'll go.Please review and tell me what you think!

Hmm, I don't know what the next chapter's going to be called. Guess it'll be a surprise.


	13. Kagome's Battle

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all other related characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

A/N: Just to let you know, the ideas for this chapter are Bedard's, and I thought they were awesome. So, naturally, I incorporated them into my story. I'm relieved, because I was running out of ideas. -- Well, I have no clue how much longer this story is going to be, so I'll just keep typing for all it's worth. Here's Chapter 13!

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_Chapter 13 - Far Away_

Sango watched Kagome helplessly, refraining herself from getting too close. Shippou sat quietly in her lap, and no one had tried to stop the kit's wails. Sango merely patted his head, her mind going blank not too long ago.

The trio turned to watch Inuyasha instead, as he swung Tetsusaiga's giant blade over his shoulder. He swore under his breath and raked a clawed hand through his silver mane. Worry and anger was etched clearly on his face as he turned to glance at Sango and Miroku. "You watch over Kagome. If anything happens, tell me. I have some important matters to take care of."

Inuyasha growled and furtively scanned the darkness that now encased nearly the whole room.. He could feel Naraku's presence, and it wasn't too far ahead of him. Naraku had never actually left the room, he just merely sat in the darkness like the coward that he is. "Come out here and face me, Naraku! You can't hide forever. And once I find you, there'll be no where to hide."

An almost silent chuckle resonated from the darker portion. As Inuyasha's eyes grew more accustomed to the absence of light, he could just make out Naraku's form. This only made Inuyasha's growl grow louder, bringing Sango to face Inuyasha's back. Kouga, not one with nearly enough patience, had been pacing the floor. Now that Inuyasha seemed prepared to attack, the wolf decided he was ready for some action as well.

The attention in the room shifted to Naraku's emerging form. His expression was unreadable as he stared at each of them in turn. His eyes then locked on Kagome's pale and seemingly lifeless body. "She is strong, Inuyasha. But it won't be long before she's completely defeated."

Sango attempted to stand, causing Shippou to fall from her lap. Had Miroku not forced her to sit back down, she would have charged after Naraku herself. Instead she turned back to Kagome, holding back the pool of tears that threatened to fall.

Kouga extended his claws, his whole body set with firm determination. "You won't get away with this, Naraku. Not until I've had the pleasure of ripping your body to pieces," he proclaimed vehemently, ice blue eyes unblinking.

Inuyasha shifted the grip on his hilt. With a fierce cry, he charged towards Naraku. He jumped in the air, and when he was right over Naraku's head, thrust the blade down. It didn't meet its target, and was sent through the floor instead. Inuyasha spun around in frustration, searching wildly for Naraku.

He was hovering over Kagome, watching her intently. He was about to attack again before he heard the low growl rumble deep in Kouga's throat. The wolf jumped in the air, right leg extended, and delivered a hard kick to the side of Naraku's face. Kouga landed safely on the ground, while Naraku stumbled to the floor.

Inuyasha smirked and glanced quickly at Kagome to ensure she was alright. _'Good, he didn't touch her.' _"What's wrong, Naraku? Upset that you were brought down by a mangy wolf?"

Kouga flexed his claws and glared at Inuyasha. "I resent that. It's not like you were able to deliver a blow, now was it dog breath?"

Miroku's eyes darted from Naraku's rising form, to Kouga and Inuyasha. "Would you two knock it off?" he shouted, gaining the bickering pair's attention. "Now is not the time to argue," he stated, more calmly, and turned back to Kagome. He wanted to fight Naraku just as much as they did, but he was still trying to revive Kagome's consciousness.

Naraku stood up at his full height, glaring triumphantly at Inuyasha. "Your death awaits." One of Naraku's tentacles shot out towards Inuyasha.

Inuyasha was caught off guard, spinning around to face Naraku just as the tentacle's sharp end impaled his stomach.

Time seemed to freeze as everyone (except Naraku) watched in horror as Inuyasha fell to his knees. Blood began seeping onto his kimono, the stain increasing in area within each waking second. Inuyasha kneeled, clutching the wound tightly in order to hinder the bleeding. His face was contorted in pain, marks of furiousness and revenge written like a story in his eyes. "You...bastard," he muttered, lips moving only slightly while his teeth were clenched.

Sango clenched her fists tightly as she stood. "NO! Inuyasha!" The image of the tentacle stabbing his gut ran like a marathon through her mind, replaying over and over. She gritted her teeth in pure frustration, her mouth set in a grim line as she watched Inuyasha double over in pain.

Miroku caught hold of Sango's wrist, firmly yet carefully. "Sango, we should get Kagome-sama out here. We don't want her getting hurt." He glanced back at Inuyasha, who seemed to be trying to ignore the pain while he fought to stand.

Miroku grabbed onto one of Kagome's arms and Sango grabbed the other. Together, they put Kagome in between them with her arms wrapped limply around their shoulders. Her chin rested against her chest as she was dragged towards the door.

Naraku waved his hand dismissively. "You're attempts to thwart me are useless. After Inuyasha is dead, I will kill you next." He sauntered over to Inuyasha, every ounce of his form screaming triumph and menace. "It's a shame that you are going to be killed so easily, Inuyasha. I thought you would have fought more than that," he chasticed, enjoying the dagger-sharp glares that Inuyasha sent him. He frowned and reached down to grab Inuyasha's neck, lifting him clear off the ground. "It really is a shame," he repeated, eyes never leaving Inuyasha's tight expression. "This won't take long. I promise."

But it was not Inuyasha that was thrown back. It was Naraku. Inuyasha fell to the ground, as did Naraku, and they both sat in stunned silence. Both turned around as a pained voice resonated from the doorway.

"Not this time, Naraku," Kagome chided. Her arms were outstretched and her palms were facing out. Color had returned to her pale skin, and her eyes were no longer lifeless. They were fierce and glowing, their dark brown piercing into Naraku's blood read irises. The aura around her swirled protectively around her body, creating such torrents that Sango and Miroku had to back away. "I am not weak, and I will not fall for your tricks again."

Naraku grimaced as he slammed against the wall behind him. "You forget so soon, that I can put you through as much agony as I desire." As he said this, he reached into the folds of his kimono. The almost complete jewel was held, pulsating darkly with each beat of Kagome's heart. He closed his fist tightly around the jewel, expecting her to scream and crumple to the ground. But no such thing happened.

Kagome reached her hand to her neck, perfectly calm. "NO!" she screamed, balling her hands into fists and raising her face to the ceiling. Heat was coursing through her veins, filling her with a new energy each time the jewel shards throbbed.

The whole room seemed to shake as the jewel in Naraku's hand split. It fell to the ground in two pieces, from which the evil aura seemed to dissipate. His eyes widened as he raised his head to look at Kagome. She had a small smirk on her face, as if to say 'I told you so!'

The pinkish light around Kagome crackled and spun wildly, eventually slowing down as the aura seemed to fade. But even so, she watched in confusion as her hands seemed to double. She raised her eyes to meet with Inuyasha's amber orbs, appearing just as confused as she was. The expressions on Sango and Miroku's faces looked the same. "Wh-what's happening to me?"

Naraku frowned deeply as Kagome's body doubled. _'This...she...this wasn't supposed to happen.' _

Kagome gasped as her possessed form left her body. Except the copy was wearing the flowing kimono, and she was in the garb of a miko. She looked down at her change of clothes in shock, and realized the sword was in the hands of her other half. "There's two of me!" She stared on as the possessed half poised her sword.

Miroku opened and closed his mouth, not being able to find the right words to say. "She...her possessed form left her body," he managed to stammer. Sango watched the two Kagomes in deep confusion, trying to make sense of it all.

"They are going to fight," Naraku stated simply. "Whichever wins shall have complete control over the body," he went on, as a smirk lightened his face.

Inuyasha jumped up as a low growl reverberated in his throat. "I'll take care of the fake Kagome..." he started, as he took his place between the two halves.

"Inuyasha, you mustn't. This is Kagome's fight, and she alone must battle with the possessed half," Miroku implied. "Tell me if I'm wrong, Naraku, but if the real Kagome loses, she will disappear. Is that right?"

Naraku merely nodded. Kagome turned her desperate glance from Inuyasha to the possessed form. "But...I can't fight that thing. She has a sword!" she exclaimed, biting her lower lip nervously. Suddenly, a bow and quiver of arrows appeared at her feet. They weren't her own, but arrows nonetheless. She grabbed them hesitantly, examining the bow in her hand.

"So it's fair," Naraku explained as his eyes locked with hers. "Maybe now you won't lose so quickly." His taunting did nothing to soothe the already nerve racked Kagome.

Sango walked up to Kagome, eyeing the miko garb as if it would bite her. "I know you can do this, Kagome-chan. You're strong, and everyone here knows it." She smiled softly for some extra reassurance, before turning and resuming her place next to Miroku.

Kagome sighed deeply and motioned for Inuyasha to step away. _'Alright, Kagome. You can do this. She's your other half, basically. There's no way you can lose. You're the real thing...' _She nodded and deftly raised her bow, watching from the corner of her eye as Inuyasha and Kouga assembled by Sango and Miroku. Shippou gave her a thumbs-up from where he sat by Kirara. Hakkaku and Ginta smiled widely and waved a bit. _'Right...as much as I want it to, that doesn't really help.'_

The two Kagomes were face-to-face, one with a bow and the other with a sword. _'You can do this...don't be afraid...' _she repeated to herself in mental preparation. With a deep breath, she released the arrow and watched it fly.

(Note: I hope this isn't getting too confusing. I know this is lame, but for battle purposes, when you see just Kagome, it's the real Kagome. I'm going to call her other half Possessed Kagome. Now, on with the battle!)

Possessed Kagome jumped in the air, missing the arrow by a few centimeters. She landed softly and swung her sword towards Kagome's stomach. Kagome dodged heatedly, notching another arrow along the bow's string.

With swift movements, Possessed Kagome thrust her sword a number of times, each of which Kagome just barely escaped. A few had ripped her clothing and scratched the skin, causing blood to seep out of the scratches. When they both stopped moving, Kagome released another arrow. She could feel her heart pound in her ears as Possessed Kagome jumped above the arrow and brought her sword above her head.

On instinct, Kagome raised her bow in defense. She felt the pressure on the wooden bow and closed her eyes tightly. _'Oh man...it's gonna break!' _Sure enough, the bow snapped with a deafening _crack. _Her eyes widened in horror as the sword continued towards its target...her neck.

"NO! I WON'T LOSE!" Kagome screamed as she raised her hands in an X in front of her face. She could feel the shards again...pounding and reassuring. Her aura again began to whirl, protecting her by any means necessary. It's faint pink light shrouded her in a protective dome, growing larger as the metal sword and miko energy collided.

Possessed Kagome was flung into the air, and landed upon the ground with a large thud. Kagome's aura still wrapped her in a heated glow, crepitating violently like lightning in a storm. But the possessed form wouldn't move. It lay on the cold wood, still and silent.

Kagome fell to her knees as her aura began to fade. She let the bow's two halves and a few splinters of wood fall to the floor. Her labored breathing could be heard across the room. She raised her head and crawled over to her other half.

With a burst of light, the two forms merged together. Kagome exhaled and spread her arms out wide, flexing her fingers. "It's strange...but, I'm whole again!" she cried with sudden delight. In fact, Possessed Kagome had returned to her original body. "It's over, Naraku," she proclaimed as she stood, still wearing the miko garb. "I won."

The shards in her neck began to pulse again. Kagome closed her eyes and smiled softly as the jewel shards were purified. Two shards fell to the ground, no longer tainted and black. They had their original faint pink glow now that they were free from impurity. She couldn't hide her triumphant grin from Naraku. "You lost."

Naraku grabbed the two halves of the larger portion of the jewel. He scowled deeply and spun around. "I'm not through with any of you. For now, I take my leave." Before anyone could blink, he had disappeared.

Inuyasha jumped up and ran to Kagome's side, sick of waiting for so long. "Are you alright, Kagome? You're injured..." he grabbed her chin and forced their eyes to meet. "You're not...like, dizzy or anything?"

Kagome shook her head as Sango and Shippou raced to her other side, Miroku shortly behind. She wrapped her arms around Kagome's neck and practically jumped up and down. "You did it, Kagome-chan! You purified the jewel shards and now...you're possessed half is gone."

Miroku smiled softly and patted Inuyasha's back. "We could all tell Inuyasha here was sick with worry, Kagome-sama," he joked, although Inuyasha didn't seem to take notice.

Kouga made his way through the cluster so he was standing in front of Kagome, with Inuyasha's face acting as a foot rest. "I'm proud of you, Kagome. But I'm afraid I can't stay any longer. I'll have to be on my way." He gave a quick salute and spun around, winking briefly at her. "C ya around, Kagome." He began running with jewel shard-induced speed, leaving Hakkaku and Ginta behind. They said good bye as well, and then they too began running.

Kagome sighed softly and scooped Shippou into her arms. "It's over, Shippou. And now we can leave." She brushed the kit's bangs away from his eyes, laughing lightly as he scurried onto her shoulder.

Kagome picked up the jewel shards off the ground, fingering them gently. "It's weird, y'know, that two jewels can hold so much power. We still have yet to defeat Naraku and collect the rest of the Sacred jewel. I'm just sorry we weren't able to take the larger piece from Naraku."

Sango put a hand on Kagome's shoulder. "No need to worry about that now. We have you back, and that's all that matters for the moment." She spared a quick glance at Inuyasha, who seemed just as relieved as she was. "We should probably get going, though, before something else happens."

Inuyasha nodded and crouched down, allowing Kagome to climb on his back. She tugged on one of his silver tresses playfully, giggling lightly as he started growling. "Are you sure you can carry me? You still have the hole in your stomach," she observed numbly. "You're going to have to let me bandage that for you when we get out of the castle."

"Keh. I'm just fine, so would ya quit apologizing already? You're normal again, so as Sango says, that's all that matters." Inuyasha bounded off, thankful that Shippou decided to perch on Sango's shoulder instead.

The other three were riding on Kirara's back, tailing Inuyasha closely. She meowed loudly, as if to congratulate Kagome as well. "I'm so glad this is over, Kirara," she confined to the youkai cat, although Miroku and Shippou heard as well.

Kagome rested her head on Inuyasha's shoulder. She watched as the blank halls in the hallway flew by, and was so glad to be so close to him. The day had stretched on, making it seem like an eternity before she was finally out of the castle.

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A/N: Okay, okay, I know. That chapter wasn't that great. I considered restarting the whole thing, but then I changed my mind. It seemed like too much work. Again, I have to thank Bedard for the ideas. I just hope I didn't make them sound too lame. -- Ah, well, I'll just patiently wait for the reviews. Just tell me what you think, because I'm dying to know how that chapter turned out. I hope I'm not like, publicly embarrassing myself or something.


	14. Last Encounter

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

A/N: Ugh! I have to apologize for probably the umpteenth for updating late. There's a ton of stuff going on that I have to deal with. Anyway, I think this stories going to be over soon. I think someday I'm going to retype the whole thing and make it longer. Someday...and again, I have to thank my reviewers, again, for being so great to me. I don't think I have anything else to say, so I'll get going with the chapter.

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_Chapter 14 - Last Encounter_

Kagome sat atop the hill overlooking the castle. It was disintegrating, moving to some other location. She had asked Inuyasha once or twice if he was going to try and follow, but the answer was always the same. Sango had assured her that they didn't need help setting up camp, so with nothing else to do, she came to watch Naraku's castle disappear.

She drew her knees into her chest and crossed her arms so they served as a sort of pillow for her head. She still donned the miko garb, not having the will or purpose for changing. It was torn in some places, revealing minor injuries bestowed by her possessed form. She gingerly lifted her hand to her cheek, examining a long, bleeding, scratch with her fingers. It traveled from just beside her nose and stopped at her hairline above her ear. Her fingertips were soon coated in the oh-so-familiar red, sticky substance - her blood.

Kagome sighed quietly and averted her eyes back to the forest behind her. She could hear a fire crackling and wood being dropped to the ground, set aside for later. Shippou was following Sango, as she, Inuyasha, and Miroku, had warned him not to bug Kagome.

Slowly but surely, the castle faded away. There was nothing left except the ground on whence it sat on. She tore a blade of grass from the ground and laid it flat on her palm. All the while her mind was racing a mile a minute. _'Naraku got away, again. And with the almost completed Sacred jewel, at that. I wonder...when we'll finally be able to defeat him.' _

Footsteps rustled in the grass, and soon stopped beside Kagome's hunched over form. She caught a glimpse of red, and knew all too well who it was. She stayed quiet, however, and continued staring off into the distance.

"Kagome, you should eat something. Food's almost done."

Inuyasha's voice broke her away from her thoughts, bringing her back to reality. She braced her hands on the ground as she stood up. Inuyasha followed suit, and when she didn't move, he began watching her, expectantly. "Are you gonna move or not?"

Kagome raised her head, a small smile playing on her face. "Sorry about that...I'm totally spaced out right now." She shook her head and began walking towards their small camp. The smell of ramen mingled in the air, along with the faint scent of burning wood.

Inuyasha followed close behind, watching her every movement. _'What is up with her? She's been like this ever since we left the castle...' _He frowned and flattened his ears against his head. There were a few logs placed around the fire, serving as a place to sit. He sat in the obvious spot, which was right next to Kagome.

The hanyou greedily accepted the steaming cup Sango was passing out. He didn't wait for others to start eating, but merely began slurping down the chicken-y noodles.

Kagome stared down into her own cup. Hunger was gnawing inside her stomach, forcing her to start eating. Her cocoa brown eyes searching the camp, meeting the eyes of Sango and Miroku. It took her a moment before she realized everyone was watching her. "What? Did I do something wrong?"

Sango smiled warmly, the flames of the fire casting random glows on her face. "It's nothing, Kagome-chan. We're just glad that you're okay..." The taijiya lowered her head to stare into the fire, the still-hot cup resting in her lap.

Miroku nodded as he swallowed some of the broth. "You're alright, aren't you, Kagome-sama? You seem unusually quiet."

This observation made its way to Inuyasha's ears, which quickly perked up. He raised his head from his own feast to peer at Kagome. Her eyes seemed glassy as she stared into the fire. It made him wonder if she heard any of them at all.

Kagome sighed and put her empty cup on the ground. She had finished before any of them, even Inuyasha. "I think I'm going to go for a walk. Is that alright? I won't be away too long." Before anyone could answer, she spun around and began running into the forest.

Inuyasha jumped up to follow, his now empty cup falling unceremoniously to the ground. He didn't get very hard when he felt a rude tugging on both of his ears. "What's the big idea here? I was just going to follow..."

"We know," Sango interrupted curtly. She pulled on the white ear until he was leaning backwards and balancing on one foot. "Leave Kagome-chan alone for a while. She's had a rough time, and probably wants some time to herself."

Inuyasha grunted. "She's had time to herself, right before we ate." He crossed his arms in annoyance, while his eyes wandered to the spot in between two trees where Kagome ran off.

Miroku grabbed his staff with his free hand and hit the stubborn hanyou upside the head. "That's _not _what we mean, Inuyasha. Just leave her be. She needs to sort through some of this on her own." He gave fuzzy ear one last tug before releasing his death grip. Sango followed suit and sat back down. The two began eating quietly, listening to Inuyasha's incoherent words as he stormed around their small camp.

Shippou watched Inuyasha in amusement. "Don't you want anything else to eat, Inuyasha? I think Kagome's got some more ramen in her backpack somewhere." His green eyes followed the mumbling hanyou around the camp.

"No," Inuyasha answered simply. He stopped once or twice to peer into the forest, impatient and eager for Kagome's return...even though she had only left a few minutes ago. "What the hell was she thinking? Running off like that..." The ranting continued on as Sango began collecting the empty cups. Miroku set a few twigs in the fire to keep it going. They paid no attention to the raving hanyou.

Shippou sighed quietly and placed his hands in front of the fire. "Inuyasha...he's impossible."

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Kagome carefully moved another branch out of the way. Her eyes were glued ahead, strongly determined not to lose sight of the faint green snake-like youkai. She was utterly surprised that Inuyasha hadn't caught her scent, and if he did, he hadn't shown any sign of it. Maybe it was for her sake...

"Kikyou...where are you?" she whispered silently. She didn't know how far she had wandered from the camp, and at the moment, she didn't care. Memories from their previous encounter had her curious, and as soon as she saw the shinidamachu, all other intentions were forgotten.

**Kagome held her hand furtively to her chest, anxiety clawing at her insides. "Maybe I should've spoke to Sango-chan..." Her head snapped up when she heard a hissing whisper like noise. Glancing far to her side, she caught sight of a greenish-white color of a snake-like yokai that was gliding through the trees. "Does that mean Kikyou's around here?" Curiosity grew inside her. Unable to resist the temptation, she began running silently after the shinidamachu. **_**Curiosity killed the cat. But still...**_** Kagome's breath came in short gasps as she stepped into a clearing, the area where the shinidamachu were wafting in circles around a tree. The sight before her was surprising, but that feeling soon began ebbing away. The physically dead miko and Inuyasha's old lover, Kikyou, was sitting on a low branch of an old oak tree. Her eyes were closed, her mouth set in a thin line. **_**She looks so peaceful...and sad. **_**Kagome took a few instinctive steps forward, but stopped dead in her tracks when Kikyou's eyes unanticipatedly opened.**

"**Kikyou?" Kagome's voice came out in a whisper, the monotonous word echoing quietly throughout the clearing. Her eyes rapidly blinked, comprehending the fact that Kikyou was laying right in front of her.**

**A smirk crept to Kikyou's face as she climbed out of the old oak. She cupped Kagome's chin gently in her hand. She was now looking eye-to-eye with the young miko, who was still in a bewildered state.**

"**W..what are you doing here?" Kagome raised her voice slightly, trying her best not to sound nervous or confused.**

**Kikyou didn't reply to her feeble question. Instead, she turned her back towards Kagome and let her shinidamachu circle her now outstretched arms. "I should be asking you the same question." Without an explanation, she began walking back into the forest. Her appearance began to fade, as if a dense fog was engulfing her.Soon she had completely disappeared. Kagome sank to her knees on the ground, chocolate eyes widening and staring after the long gone Kikyou.**

"**What was that all about?" She mumbled the question quietly to herself. She began shaking her head to try and rid herself of all the perplexity. Without another word and head bowed, she walked back into the forest, the path from Kaede's village leading the way.**

Kagome let loose a sigh of relief when the throng of trees and underbrush disappeared. It seemed like a meadow in the middle of a forest. Her eyes followed the slithering shinidamachu to boulder, on which Kikyou sat. She sucked in a deep breath and continued forward, more determined now more than ever.

Before Kagome came close to the boulder, Kikyou turned around. Her dull, seemingly lifeless eyes bore into her own. Kagome stared numbly down at her outfit. They were wearing the same clothes, and could most definitely pass off as twins. Except for the fact that Kikyou was dead.

With swift, nimble movements, Kikyou slid off the boulder, her eyes never leaving Kagome's own. A few of the shinidamachu released their grasp on the soul they had taken, flying away once Kikyou's body absorbed the ball of light.

Kagome frowned slightly as she took another step forward.They continued to have a stare down, as if their brown eyes were locked into each other. "Kikyou..." Her voice came out in an almost whisper, only loud enough for the other miko to hear. She stared dumbly at Kikyou's right hand, only just realizing she was holding her bow, the quiver of arrows strapped on her shoulder. "What are you doing here?"

It was the same question she had asked during their last encounter, and yet she didn't find an answer. She wanted one, now, and wouldn't leave until she got it. "Are you searching for Inuyasha?" That seemed like the most logical explanation, but logic isn't always right.

Kikyou began walking forward until she was standing right in front of Kagome. The sun had set some time ago, and the moon cast dark shadows along the dead miko's face. "You truly are my reincarnation," she observed quietly as she brushed her hand along the scratch on Kagome's face.

"Huh?" Kagome flinched at the touch of Kikyou's pale, cold hand. Her mind froze, and she found the task to comprehend what was going on overwhelming. She blinked and examined Kikyou's face, searching for reasons...answers...anything that might help. But she found nothing. Kikyou's expression was unreadable and grim. She always seemed so...depressed.

Kikyou seemed to smirk...almost, as she drew her hand away. "Naraku took control over you. Yet you fought him off, and yourself, and managed to purify the tainted jewel shards at the same time. You resemble me perfectly." She rested her hands at her sides, though one could tell that her eyes were still searching and examining.

Kagome blinked, not attempting to hide her strained confusion. "But...how do you know all of this?" Her mind was in overdrive, though her form was frozen stock-still. She let her gaze avert momentarily to one of the shinidamachu, but her attention wasn't kept long.

"I have my ways of obtaining information," Kikyou responded simply as another soul was absorbed into her clay body. She turned her eyes down briefly to glance down at Kagome's miko garb. A small frown teased her lips as she turned away from Kagome.

'_How can she do that? It's so...freaky.' _Kagome tried to remain her composure as a shudder shook her shoulders. "Ah...right. But why are you here? Inuyasha should be here any minute now, if you're wondering," she commented dryly as she turned her back to Kikyou. She scanned the surrounding forest, keeping a close eye out for anything out of place.

"No. I shouldn't be staying here any longer." There was a shuffling of feet and the sound of crunching grass. Kagome whipped around to ask what Kikyou had meant by that, but there was no trace of the dead miko.

Kagome closed her eyes unbelievingly. "Sh-she's gone..." _'I shouldn't be staying here any longer...what did she mean by that? I really don't understand her sometimes.' _She sighed quietly and raised her head to look at the sky. "It's late...Inuyasha's probably more than annoyed with me." She smiled lightly at the thought before turning around.

The moon cast a dim light on the forest canopy, causing dark shadows to play on the meadow's floor. The wind blew slightly as Kagome began trudging back into the forest. She wrapped her arms around her shoulders, shivering slightly as the wind picked up.

Kagome raised her head as she heard someone call her name, although she knew who it was before she actually saw him. She stopped in readied silence, mentally preparing herself for the barrage of questions that was sure to come.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha jumped swiftly to the ground, landing lightly on his feet. His amber eyes swept across the ground before meeting with Kagome's. He frowned slightly as he noticed the troubled look in her eyes. _'But...Kikyou was here. Where is she now?'_

Kagome sighed quietly and turned her eyes to the ground...anything to avoid Inuyasha's stare. "Kikyou was here. She left...but I don't know where she went. She just disappeared." She shrugged halfheartedly and averted her gaze to the opening of the forest. "If you want to go after her, Inuyasha, go ahead. I won't get in your way."

Inuyasha jumped again, this time landing directly in front of Kagome. He grabbed her chin softly, forcing her to raise her head. She smiled softly, but wasn't able to hide the pained feeling. "What the hell are you talking about? I wouldn't dream about going after Kikyou during a time like this!" He growled quietly, while carefully brushing her bangs away from her eyes. "You should know that."

Kagome frowned slightly, though she could feel the blush rising to her cheeks. "What do you mean, 'at a time like this?" _'Kami, he can be so ignorant sometimes!'_

Inuyasha snapped his hand back in surprise. "No..wait, I didn't mean it that way...You mean more to me than Kikyou does. Hell, you should have figured that out by now." He gripped both of her shoulders and paused for a moment before pulling her into his embrace. He ran a clawed hand through her hair, inhaling deeply as her scent overwhelmed him.

Kagome couldn't help but smile as she closed her eyes. "I know, Inuyasha...and I'm sorry." She paused to glance up at Inuyasha's face, and was instantly greeted with his amber eyes. "We should be going back soon. Sango-chan is going to start wondering what's taking so long." Her voice was slightly muffled, as she had her face buried in his haori.

Inuyasha frowned before releasing Kagome. He turned around and crouched down, signaling her to climb on his back. She obeyed willingly, holding onto his shoulders tightly as he bounded to the forest.

Kagome sighed as she rested her head on Inuyasha's back. The breeze tugged on her hair, blowing it this way and that. The forest was quiet as Inuyasha swiftly ran in the direction of their camp. The trees on the side of the path were a blur, so she settled for closing her eyes. _'I didn't realize it before...but I'm exhausted.' _She yawned before falling asleep on his back.

Inuyasha turned his head, smiling softly as he caught her dozing off. _'After what Naraku did...I'm not surprised she fell asleep.'_

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Sango threw another stick into the fire. Shippou had dozed off on Kagome's sleeping bag, which Sango had rolled out for the young kit. She stared into the blazing fire anxiously, raising her head to peer into the forest every so often. "Houshi-sama, what do you think's taking Kagome-chan so long? Inuyasha should have found her by now."

Miroku rested his staff on the ground as he took a seat next to Sango. He was chuckling softly, stopping only when Sango turned to glare at him. "I'm sure they'll be back soon. They might have wanted some alone time..." He closed his eyes, expecting a slap...or at least a yell, but heard nothing.

He turned questioningly towards Sango, only to find her staring into the fire. "Ah...you're thinking about your brother."

Sango raised her head. Her brown eyes were glistening lightly with tears. She leaned in close to Miroku, much to his surprise. Instinctively, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in closer.

"Houshi-sama...do you ever think we'll be able to save Kohaku?" Sango queried quietly. She's seen Kohaku once in the castle, but after that, he disappeared. "He seems so...out of our reach. I don't know what to do," she confessed softly.

Miroku used his other hand to stroke the small of her back. "We'll figure out a way, I promise." His hand stopped as he heard running footsteps.

Sure enough, Inuyasha crashed through the last group of trees. He landed smartly on the ground, a sleeping Kagome resting on his back. Immediately, Sango sat up as she felt the incredible heat rising to her face.

"Keh. Hope I'm not interrupting anything," Inuyasha muttered as he kicked Shippou off Kagome's sleeping bag. He laid her down quietly as he shot a warning glare towards the now-awake kit. He blinked groggily before nestling at the foot of the sleeping bag.

Miroku sighed as he rubbed the back of his head. "So what happened?"

Inuyasha turned around to face him. "Apparently, Kagome spoke with Kikyou. She didn't tell me much else. Kikyou was gone before I got there." He absently kicked a rock into the fire. "You should be getting to sleep. We're heading out tomorrow." That said, he stalked over to the nearest tree and sat down with his back resting against the trunk.

"Guess he doesn't want to talk about it," Sango observed as she stood up. She motioned Kirara to follow when she began preparing her bed for the night.

"We'll find out in the morning, I'm sure," Miroku replied. He, too, began preparing a bed. He glanced one last time at Inuyasha, noticing how the hanyou's eyes were closed and his arms were crossed.

"Good night."

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A/N: Kami, something is really up with me. I apologize again for updating so late! And for the crappy chapter...but I'll update as soon as I can. I'm working on Turn Tables right now, too, which has been just as slow as this one. But I'll try my best to get my updating back on track...in the mean time, please review!

Next chapter will be the last, I'm pretty sure, but I can't think of a title right now!


	15. Starting Anew

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

A/N: Kami, I'm sorry for not updating later. If anything else unexpected comes up, I swear I will rip my hair out. ::sigh:: But I think I'm alright now...maybe...It doesn't take much to send me off the edge anymore.

This is the last chapter...So I tried to make it longer. Hope you guys like it.

(The song in bold and italic text throughout this chapter is Honestly by Bethany Joy Lenz).

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_Chapter 15 - Starting Anew _

Kagome took aim at the giant insect youkai hovering in the air above her head. She narrowed her eyes in careful concentration. "You're mine!" she shouted, just as she released the notched arrow. A faint pink glow surrounded the tip, trailing out until it reached the arrow's end. There was a bright, exploding light as the spear-like point pierced the insect's abdomen. Soon thereafter, it fell to the ground, quiet and unmoving. "Got it."

"Nice shot, Kagome-chan!" Sango praised as she skillfully caught the Hiraikotsu in her outstretched hand. She ran to the spot where Kagome was examining the insect's wing. She patted the girl's back in admiration before kneeling down to take a better look at the youkai's face. "Incredible. Your arrow went right through it's center." She shook her head in amazement as Kirara reverted to her small form.

"I agree, Kagome-sama. Well done," Miroku reputed as he lowered his head in a silent prayer. "Your skills are quite amazing," he commented again, placing a regarding hand on her shoulder. "I don't think even Inuyasha could have done better."

Kagome smiled brightly as she swatted Miroku's hand away. "Come on, you guys. It wasn't that great. It didn't even have a sacred jewel shard." She paused, seeming to remember something, and began looking around the forest-surrounded field. "Where's Shippou?"

As if on cue, Shippou jumped up on Kagome's shoulder. "I'm right here! And that was too awesome, Kagome. That youkai didn't stand a chance!" He grinned widely and stuck his tongue out at the insect's corpse.

"Feh." The small group looked up to see Inuyasha sheathing his Tetsusaiga. "It's nothing to get worked up about. She shot it with an arrow, big deal." He scowled as he kicked the dead body onto it's side.

Shippou got a very mischievous gleam in his eyes before his grin turned into a smirk. "I think Inuyasha's jealous because Kagome defeated the youkai before he had a chance." At the hanyou's angry glare and the low growl rising in his throat, Shippou crossed his arms triumphantly. "I'm right, aren't I, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha cracked his knuckles and balled his hands into fists. "You're gonna pay for that, you little runt!" Shippou squealed and jumped off Kagome's shoulder, giving easy chase to the fuming Inuyasha.

Kagome sighed as she strapped her bow over her shoulder. "Those two will never learn," she remarked over Shippou's high pitched cries for help. Sango and Miroku nodded in silent agreement.

Kagome cringed slightly as there was a_**thunk**_,followed by another one of Shippou's screams. Immediately, the kit ran back to her and jumped into her ready arms. "Inuyasha, did you have to hit him so hard?" she scolded as she gently ran her hand over the forming bump in the midst of Shippou's red hair.

'_It's been two days since I've escaped from Naraku. I guess it doesn't take long for things to return to normal.'_ Kagome frowned when another thought entered her mind. _'And it's been two days since I last saw Kikyou. I still don't understand why she came to see __**me.**__' _She glanced quickly at Inuyasha, whom was examining the hole in the youkai's abdomen. _'Why not Inuyasha? Wait...what am I saying? I should be __**glad **__that she didn't come to see Inuyasha.'_

"Kagome-sama, are you alright?" Miroku's questioning voice broke through her thoughts, immediately snapping her back to reality. Sango, too, was watching her, and even Inuyasha had raised his head to see what the matter was.

Kagome shook her head quickly, smiling broadly up at the beaming sun. "Yes, I'm fine. Just thinking is all." She walked up to Inuyasha and tugged lightly at his sleeve. "Are you ready to go? It's still the morning yet, and I thought you said you actually wanted to get somewhere today."

Inuyasha scowled as he turned his eyes down to meet Kagome's. "Whatever. Let's just get going, if you're done daydreaming." He smirked defiantly as Kagome glowered at him.

Kagome could feel the flame rising to her cheeks as she bowed her head. Her mouth quirked in slight annoyance, but she somehow managed to maintain her composure. _'Can he blame me? All I've been thinking about lately is Kikyou...but I won't tell him that.'_

"Kagome! Are you coming or not?" Again, Kagome was snapped out of her reverie. She glanced up in frustration at her group of her friends, now a ways ahead of her. Shippou had even jumped out of her arms in haste to catch up. Inuyasha was looking back at her, waving his hand high in the air.

"Yeah! I'll be right there!" Hurriedly, Kagome began running for fear of lagging even further behind. In a few moments, she was standing at Inuyasha's side. She panted slightly as she glanced up at Inuyasha and flicked one of his ears. "Why didn't you tell me you guys were leaving? Were you planning on leaving me behind?" she asked in mock anger.

Inuyasha scoffed as he continued along the forest path. "I thought you knew," he answered nonchalantly. Insouciantly, he shrugged and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She seemed to puff up in indignation, and immediately, Inuyasha covered her mouth with his hand. Her eyes went from confused to mirthful. "Don't even think about it," he warned as he cautiously dropped his hand.

As soon as Inuyasha took his hand away from her face, Kagome started laughing. Sango and Miroku watched on in confusion. Shippou had given up after saying her name a few time, and now sat beside Kirara.

Inuyasha was just as confused as the others. Kagome leaned over with her arms crossed across her stomach. "Uh...Kagome, are you feeling okay?" he asked, a bit hesitantly. _'Damn it...why is she crying? What did I do?!'_

Kagome slowly regained composure, and managed to wipe a loose tear from the corner of her eye. "No...I'm alright. But Inuyasha, the look on your face was priceless!" She cracked into another fit of giggles, but somehow managed to keep walking on the path. The others followed close behind.

Finally, Kagome's laughter stopped. She turned back to Sango and Miroku, who still appeared slightly baffled. "You should have seen it..." Her voice trailed off as she turned to look at the path ahead of them. It seemed...no matter how many distractions there were, her mind would always wander back to Kikyou. _'I never told Sango or Miroku about that night. By the time we got to camp, I was asleep. I never told Inuyasha what she said, either.' _

Kagome glimpsed Inuyasha out of the corner of her eye. She inhaled deeply and used her index finger to lightly tap on his shoulder. "Can I...talk to you for a second, Inuyasha?" Before he could nod, she grabbed onto his wrist and pulled him to the far side of the path.

Kagome started without letting Inuyasha get a word in edgewise. "Two days ago, when I ran into Kikyou, she said she came to see me." She began wringing her hands together, and momentarily caught Sango, Miroku, and Shippou watching them. When she frowned, all three looked away, acting as if nothing happened. "She was saying something about how I fought off Naraku...and all that."

Inuyasha furrowed his brow as he thought about this. _'Kikyou went to see Kagome. But why? That's not like her...' _His thoughts slowly trailed off as he stared down at Kagome's wondering eyes. "Did she say anything else?"

Kagome turned her eyes down to the ground in silent focus. "No. That was it. What do you think she was getting at?" She clasped her hands tightly behind her back as she looked up at the sky.

Inuyasha crossed his arms, his hands buried deep in the sleeves of his haori. "I don't know. But I don't think it's important at the moment." He rose his eyebrows as he caught Kagome's frown. "It's not like she's going to come after you or anything."

Kagome sighed quietly, but instantly rose her head to meet Inuyasha's eyes. "You're right. We should get going now..." she suggested, glaring playfully at Miroku, who again was watching. _'I just...had to tell you.' _

Inuyasha continued walking forwards, oblivious to Kagome's eyes following him. She shook her head as she made her way over to Sango and Miroku. Shippou immediately bombarded her with dozens of questions, all of which she shook off. "We need to get going," she reminded loudly, as Inuyasha was quite a ways ahead of them. She quickly ran off, Sango, Miroku, and Shippou close behind.

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"_Kagome, kill him," Naraku commanded menacingly. She nodded slowly and raised her sword. Inuyasha seemed to stop in mid-air as he watched Kagome, wide-eyed. But she didn't bring the sword down. It seemed to shake in her hands. What was she doing?_

_Naraku frowned and leaned in close to her ear. "Don't resist me, Kagome. Kill Inuyasha!" he hissed. Inuyasha stared straight at Kagome's lifeless eyes. They were blank and unmoving, all the while they were burning into Inuyasha's orbs of amber. _

"_Kill him," Naraku snarled once again. The jewel shards in Kagome's neck seemed to pulse, sending a throbbing heat through her veins. It burned, but not in a painful way. Every pulse made her feel powerful, and made her lose more control._

_Stealthily, Kagome charged. She held her sword readied in front of her, prepared to do Naraku's bidding. But Inuyasha wouldn't move. Everyone watched in horror as Kagome ran the sword right through Inuyasha's heart. Blood spurted on the floor as he weakly fell to his knees. "Ka...Kagome," he whispered, before he collapsed to the wood._

_Immediately, Sango and Miroku ran to Inuyasha's side. Sango turned her chocolate eyes towards Kagome's, though they were now glistening with bright tears. "What did you do?!" she cried before turning back to Inuyasha's pale body. "You killed Inuyasha..."_

_Naraku's chuckle could be heard beside Kagome's panting form. "Good work," he praised, and then disappeared. _

Kagome shot up in her sleeping bag. She glanced around their small camp hurriedly. Her breathing came in short gasps, and her clothes were soaked in sweat. She brought her two hands close to her face and studied them. Slowly, she turned her palms down and tried to still her trembling fingers. "Kami...it was a nightmare." She wiped her forehead shakily and resumed scanning the campsite.

'_I guess everyone's still sleeping,' _she observed to herself. Everyone except Inuyasha, though this was unbeknownst to her.

Kagome quietly drew her knees close to her chest as she forced her breathing to slow. _'I...I killed Inuyasha. In my dream...It was __**me. **__That's what...what would have happened.' _She leaned forward and rested her chin on her knees as she stared off into the forest. _'I can't believe...that girl was actually me.' _Her eyes soon became clouded over, almost glazed, as these thoughts roamed her mind.

_**Honestly, I didn't mean to cry so hard, but the heartache was pouring in like rain. **_

"Hey."

_**I didn't mean to show I cared.**_

"Hm?" Kagome raised her head and glanced to her sides. There, Inuyasha was sitting cross-legged beside her. "Uh...Inuyasha. I thought you were sleeping." She could feel a slight heat rising to her cheeks, but since it was dark, it made the faint red color harder to see.

_**Honestly, I didn't mean to laugh so loud, but it just sounds so absurd...**_

Inuyasha turned his eyes to hers. His amber eyes, though dark out, still glowed under the moonlight. "No. I was watching you." He paused for a moment before continuing on. "Did you have a nightmare?"

_**To say that you want me, say that you need me, after everything you've done.**_

Kagome sighed quietly and nodded her head. "We were back at the castle. It was when Naraku commanded me to kill you. Except I..." She took in a shaky breath before averting her eyes to the ground. "I actually killed you." Pools of tears began to form in her eyes, and before she knew it, those hot tears were running down her cheeks.

_**Really, truly, I didn't mean to hurt you. I just thought that maybe now...**_

Inuyasha frowned, and without another thought, reached his arm around Kagome's shoulder. She gasped quietly as he pulled her closer to him. "But it was just a nightmare. You were able to break through Naraku's spell," he reassured quietly, as he didn't want the others to wake up. He began stroking a clawed hand through her ebony hair, and she felt more relaxed than ever.

_**We'd have better luck the second time around. It's always better the second time, I hear.**_

_**Find me in the evening when you're ready to dance**_

_**And I will take you to the places,**_

_**Where you never thought you'd have the chance to love. Love.**_

_**Love is all we have. **_

_**I will run myself in circles here without you.**_

Kagome yawned as she turned her eyes up to the waning moon. "Inuyasha?" she whispered. Her eyelids were growing heavier with each passing second.

_**Please believe that I tried my best to forget you.**_

"Yeah?" Inuyasha's hand stopped at the back of her head. She turned about halfway, so they were facing each other.

_**But the memories keep flooding back like tears. **_

Kagome raised one of her hands, slowly, until she was caressing Inuyasha's cheek. Her eyes seemed to waver slightly. "Thank you." She leaned in closer, and got up on her knees. In a second, her lips met Inuyasha's in a fervent kiss.

_**I didn't mean to fall in love.**_

Inuyasha was stunned. For a few moments, he just sat there, until he couldn't hold back. He held the back of her head tightly while gently stroking her back with his claws. Placatingly, he nipped at her lower lip with one of his fangs, careful not to draw blood.

_**But sitting here waiting for this is torture.**_

Kagome pulled back slightly so their foreheads rested against each other and noses touched. A warm smile graced her lips as she reached a hand to massage one of his ears. She scowled playfully as a purr managed to escape Inuyasha's throat. "Now I'll never be able to get back to sleep," although she was practically asleep in his arms.

_**I'm so glad you're far away. Is that a terrible thing to say?**_

_**Well, I wonder if you're okay...**_

_**Find me in the evening when you're ready to dance**_

_**And I will take you to the places,**_

_**Where you never thought you'd have the chance to love. Love.**_

_**Love is all we have. **_

_**I will run myself in circles here without you.**_

Inuyasha smirked and pulled Kagome closer, until her head was resting comfortable on his shoulder. "That's alright, Kagome. You can stay up with me." He could hear her sigh quietly, and he smiled softly when she wrapped her arms around his neck.

_**Oh, I would run myself in circles here without you **_

_**Oh, I've tried and tried And I can't hide from your love **_

_**Darlin' its too late to show me your intentions **_

Kagome breathed in deeply. _'Inuyasha smells like the woods...and it smells good.' _She smiled softly as she nestled herself against Inuyasha's chest. Before she knew it, her eyes had closed and she drifted off.

_**You know we've got to find a way **_

_**To get past all the implications, every situation **_

_**Every complication that we've come from **_

_**Love is all we have **_

_**I will run myself in circles here without you.**_

Inuyasha felt the rhythmic rise and fall of Kagome's chest, and immediately knew she had fallen asleep. He carefully shifted her into a more comfortable position, so her back was leaning on him. He crossed his arms over her shoulders, and let his hands rest gently just below her neck. "I love you, Kagome. And I will never let that happen to you again."

_**Darlin' love, love **_

_**Love is all we have **_

_**I will run myself in circles here without you**_

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END OF STORY

A/N: Awww, a happy ending! Well, the story's over...and I can't help but feel sad. As I said before, someday I'll rewrite the whole thing and make it longer! You'll see!! Read and review, please!


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